



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 









THE CHRONICLES OF 
FAIRY LAND 


HOLIDAY EDITIONS OF 
JU VE NILE CLASSICS 


By GEORGE MACDONALD 

THE PRINCESS AND THE 
GOBLIN 

THE PRINCESS AND CURDIE 
AT THE BACK OF THE 
NORTH WIND 

Illustrated in color by Maria L. Kirk. Decorated 
chapter-headings and lining papers. Octavo. 
Ornamental cloth, gilt top, $1.50 per volume. 

OUIDA’S CLASSIC JUVENILES 

A DOG OF FLANDERS 

Containing also her most famous stories, “The 
Niirnberg Stove,” “The Little Earl,” and 
“In the Apple Country.” 

BIMBI : STORIES FOR 
CHILDREN 

Each illustrated in color by Maria L. Kirk. Decorated 
lining papers. Octavo. Ornamental cloth , 
gilt top , $1.50 per volume. 

Edited by G. E. MITTON 

THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON 

Twelve full-page illustrations in color by Harry 
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By JEAN 1 NGELOW 

MOPSA, THE FAIRY 

Illustrated in color hy Maria L. Kirk. Decorated 
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By JOHN KENDRICK BANGS 

MOLLIE AND 

THE UNWISEMAN ABROAD 

Ten full-page illustrations in color by Grace G. 
IVeiderseim. Octavo. Cloth , pictorial cover , $7.50. 

By FERGUS HUME 

CHRONICLES OF FAIRYLAND 

Illustrated in color by Maria L. Kirk. Decorated 
lining papers. Octavo. Ornamental cloth,$i .$0. 

HANS ANDERSEN’S 
FAIRY TALES 

"Profusely illustrated in color by Maria L. Kirk. 
Decorated lining papers. Octavo. Cloth, $1.30. 


J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 

Publishers Philadelphia 



A THRONE OF GREAT WHITE LILIES, UPON WHICH SAT THE KING AND QUEEN OF 

FAERY LAND 


Page 104 





CHRONICLES OF 
FAIRY LAND 


BY 

FERGUS HUME 

M 


WITH ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR BY 

MARIA L. KIRK 

AND IN THE TEXT BY 
M. DUNLOP 



PHILADELPHIA & LONDON 

B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 

1911 


ds 



COPYRIGHT, 19H, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 


PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER, I9H 



PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 
AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS 
PHILADELPHIA, U.S.A. 


©Cl. A 30 00 4 5 


TO THOSE EARNEST STUDENTS OF FAERY LORE 

JOAN AND JACK BURNETT 
THESE STORIES 

ARE DEDICATED BY THEIR FRIEND 

FERGUS HUME 



CONTENTS 


PAGE 

KING OBERON’S LIBRARY 11 

The Red Elf 25 

Shadowland 47 

The Water-witch 63 

Moon Fancies 95 

The Rose-princess 109 

Sorrow-singing 139 

The Golden Goblin 157 


THE ENCHANTED FOREST 


183 



ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

A Throne of Great White Lilies, upon which Sat the King and Queen of Faery- 
land Frontispiece 

“Yes, It Is Faeryland,” Piped a Shrill Voice 14 ^ 

The Rude Giant Laughed Heartily at the Poor Elf’s Plight 32 

As Tom Picked It Up He Felt that It was Filled with Money 49 ^ 

He Saw the Form of the Water-faery Glimmering Ghostly Under the Thin White 

Veil 71 S 

On Seeing Ardram She Bounded Toward Him and Put Her Arms Round His 

Neck 134 * 

One Bright Summer’s Night a Number of Faeries Flew Into the Room 139 ’ 

“I Am the Golden Goblin,” He Cried in a Harsh Voice 164 


A BALLAD OF FAERY TALES 


I. 

O’ER weary earth the twilight falls 
The sunset fades from western skies , 
Dark shadows dance upon the walls, 

As from the hearth red flames arise. 
This hour is full of strange surprise, 

Of mystic stories sweet and grand ; 
And children hear with shining eyes 
These Chronicles of Faeryland. 


II. 

So, children, gather round my knee, 

And list to tales of old romance ; 

With stories of the land and sea 

I’ll make your eyes with pleasure dance. 

And if the fays are kind, perchance 
You’ll see in dreams the elfish band, 

Whene’er you hear with wond’ring glance 
These Chronicles of Faeryland. 

III. 

The rugged caves where giants dwell ; 

The dragons guarding gems and gold ; 

Fair ladies who by magic spell 
Are held enchained in castles old ; 

The handsome princes, brave and bold, 

Who cross the moat by drawbridge spanned 

Such tales and more will now unfold 
These Chronicles of Faeryland. 

Envoi. 

Then, children, leave your books and toys, 
And come to this enchanted strand ; 

I tell for happy girls and boys 
These Chronicles of Faeryland. 


King Oberon’s Library. 


T was after dinner, I think, as I was seated in 
my arm-chair before the fire, tired out with 
hard work, and therefore half asleep. All day 
long it had been snowing hard, and even now, 
at seven o’clock in the evening, it was still 
coming down in great white flakes, making the 
earth look like a beautiful birthday cake. There was no light 
in the room, except the red glimmer of the fire that flickered 
and flared on the wide hearth, roaring up the great chimney, 
as if it was grumbling to itself at having to go out into the 
cold, cold night. 

Now, I am very fond of the firelight in a dark room at such 

an hour, for it casts strange shadows, which put strange fancies 

into my head, and I tell these strange fancies to good children, 

which pleases them very much. For the children I tell them 

to are very wise, and believe in these strange fancies, calling 

them faery tales, as indeed they are. Grown-up people do not 

believe in faery tales, which is a great pity, because there are 

many good and beautiful stories told of the faeries, which 

make people who really understand them better and wiser. 

But all children understand them because all children know 

u 




12 


KING OBERON'S LIBRARY. 


that Faeryland exists, and, therefore, the strange fancies called 
faery tales must necessarily be true. 

Well, as I said before, I was seated half-asleep in my arm- 
chair in the dark, watching the fire burning merrily on the 
hearth, and sending out great shafts of red light to explore dark 
corners, where goblins are fond of lurking. On the roof and 
on the wall danced the firelight shadows in the most amusing 
manner ; but they are foolish folk these same shadows, belong- 
ing to the strange Kingdom of Shadowland, which lies near 
the realm of Faery; yet not mingling with it in any way, for 
in Faeryland, as wise children know, there are no shadows 
at all. 

I grew tired watching the shadow-dance, so, letting my chin 
sink on my breast, I stared into the red hollows and burning 
caverns made by the flames among the logs of wood. There 
I saw all kinds of curious things, — turreted castles, which held 
enchanted princesses, broad red plains, across which journeyed 
brave knights in armour, to deliver those same princesses, and 
huge rocky caverns wherein dwelt cruel magicians, who try to 
stop the brave knights from reaching the enchanted castles. I 
saw all these things in the fire, and you can see them also, if 
you look steadily into the flames at night-time, because then 
everything is under the spell of faery power. But you must 
believe very hard indeed, as you look, for the faeries will not 
let their country be seen by children who doubt that the 
beautiful land exists. 

There were some twigs on the logs still bearing a few 
withered leaves, but, being out of reach of the fire, they were 
not burnt up ; nevertheless the flames made them quiver with 


KING QBE RONS LIBRARY. 


*3 


their hot breath, just as if they were still being shaken by the 
cool breeze of the forest. 

Now, while I was looking at the shaking of the withered 
leaves, a cricket began to chirp, and, whether it was the magic 
of the darkness, or the influence of the faeries, I do not know, 
but I understood every word of the song the cricket sang. Oh, 
it was really a famous singer, that merry cricket, and the song it 
sang went something after this fashion. 

THE CRICKET’S SONG. 

You can only hear my voice ; 

But you cannot see me. 

Oh, would not your heart rejoice* 

If you could but be me ! 

Thro’ the sultry summer hours 
My shrill voice was ringing; 

Now, when cold has killed the flowers, 

By the fire I’m singing. 

You don’t understand my song, 

Tho’ so bright and airy; 

For to mortals you belong, 

You are not a faery. 

Living now the earth upon, 

Oft my life’s imperilled ; 

But at court of Oberon, 

I’m the faeries’ herald. 

If you caught me you would say, 

“In the fire stick it ; 

In the house it shall not stay, 

Noisy, noisy cricket.” 

Therefore by the Faery King, 

I to hide am bidden, 

And you only hear me sing 
When I’m closely hidden 


KING OBERONS LIBRARY. 


14 

First of all, it sounded as if only one cricket was singing, 
then a second seemed to join in, afterwards a third and fourth, 
until the whole forest appeared to be full of crickets. 

Forest? — yes! — I was now in an old, old forest, for, as I 
listened to the cricket’s song, the twigs on the logs became 
fresh and green, then seemed to grow larger and larger, until 
they hid the red light of the fire, and branched out with great 
leafy boughs into the room. I looked up in surprise, and saw 
the green branches, high above my head, waving in the soft 
wind, and I could hear the singing of unseen birds sound 
through the chirping of the crickets. Under my feet, instead of 
a carpet, there was now fresh green turf covered with daisies, 
and my arm-chair was a chair no longer, but the mossy trunk 
of a fallen tree. The red light glimmered behind the leaves, as 
though the fire was still there, but I knew in some strange way 
that it was not the fire, but the crimson glare of the sunset. A 
great wave of phantasy seemed to roll through the forest, and I 
started to my feet, as the crickets finished singing, with a 
curious sense of wonderful knowledge and vague longings. 

“ Dear me ! ” I said to myself ; “ this must be Faeryland.” 

“ Yes, it is Faeryland,” piped a shrill voice, which seemed to 
come from the ground. “ This is the Forest of Enchantment.” 

I looked down without astonishment, for in Faeryland no 
one is astonished at the strange things which take place, and 
saw an old, old little man, with a long white beard, sitting astride 
the stem of a flower, which kept swaying up and down like a 
rocking-horse. He was dressed in bright green, with the 
inverted purple cup of a Canterbury bell on his head, and if he 
had not spoken I would not have known he was there, so much 





imm 


“ YF.S, IT IS FAERY LAND, 


PIPED A SHRILL VOICE 


KING OBERON’S LIBRARY. 


*5 


did his clothes and cap resemble the surrounding green grass 
and coloured flowers. 

“ Goblin ? ” I asked quickly ; for, you see, he looked so old and 
ugly that I thought he must be one of the underground faeries. 

“ I'm not a goblin,” he replied in an angry, shrill voice, like 
the wind whistling through a keyhole. “ It is very rude of you 
to call me a goblin — a nasty thing who lives under the earth, and 
only cares for gold and silver. I’m a faery — a very celebrated 
faery indeed.” 

“ But you wear a beard,” I said doubtfully ; “ faeries don’t 
wear beards.” 

“Not all faeries,” he answered, with dignity, jumping down 
from his swaying flower stem ; “ but I do, because I am the 
librarian of King Oberon.” ‘ 

“ Dear me ! I did not know he had a library. Do let me 
see it ! ” 

“You see it now,” said the librarian, waving his hand; 
“look at all the books.” 

I looked round, but saw nothing except a circle ot trees, 
whose great boughs, meeting overhead, made a kind of leafy 
roof, through which could be seen the faint, rosy flush of the 
sunset sky. The ground, as I said before, was covered with 
daisy-sprinkled turf, and there was a still pool of shining water 
in the centre, upon the bosom of which floated large white lilies. 

“ I must say I don’t see anything except leaves,” I said, after 
a pause. 

“Well — those are the books.” 

“Oh, are they! Well, I know books have leaves, but I 
didn’t know leaves were books.” 


i6 


KING OBERON'S LIBRARY. 


The faery looked puzzled. 

“ You must have some faery blood in you,” he said at 
length, “ or you would never have found your way into this 
forest ; but you don’t seem to have enough of the elfin nature 
to see all the wonders of Faery land.” 

“ Oh, do let me see the wonders of Faeryland ! ” I asked 
eagerly; “ now that I am here, I want to see everything.” 

“No doubt you do,” retorted the faery, with a provoking 
smile ; “ but I don’t know if the King will let you — however, I’ll 
ask him when he wakes.” 

“Is he asleep?” I said in astonishment; “why, it’s 
day-time.” 

“It’s day-time with you, not with us,” answered the 
librarian ; “ the night is the day of the faeries — and see, there’s 
the sun rising.” 

Looking up through the fretwork of boughs and leaves, I 
saw the great silver shield of the moon trembling in the dark 
blue sky, from whence all the sunset colours had died away. 

“But that’s the moon,” I cried, laughing. 

“ The moon is our sun, stupid,” he said tartly. “ I think 
the King will be awake now, so I’ll ask him if you can see the 
books.” 

He vanished, — I don’t know how ; for, though I did not 
take my eyes off him, he seemed to fade away, and in his place 
I saw the green leaves and slender stem of a flower, with the 
Canterbury bell nodding on the top. 

The only thing I could do was to wait, so I sat down again 
on the fallen tree, and amused myself with looking round to see 
what kind of creatures lived in Faeryland. 


KING QBE RON’S LIBRARY. 


17 


The night was very still, — no sound of cricket or bird, not 
even the whisper of the wind, or the splash of water, — all was 
silent, and the moon, looking down through the leaves, flooded 
the glade with a cold, pale light, turning the still waters of the 
pool to a silver mirror, upon which slept the great white lilies. 

Suddenly, a bat, whirring through the glade, disappeared in 
the soft dusk of the trees, then I heard the distant “ Tu whit, 
tu whoo” of an owl, which seemed to break the spell of the 
night, and awaken the sleeping faeries ; for all at once, on every 
side, I heard a confused murmur, the glow-worms lighted their 
glimmering lamps on the soft mossy banks, and brilliant fire- 
flies flashed like sparkling stars through the perfumed air. 

Then a nightingale began to sing ; I could not see the bird, 
but only heard the lovely music gushing from amid the dim 
gloom of the leaves, filling the whole forest with exquisite 
strains. I understood the nightingale’s song just as well as I 
did that of the cricket, but what it sang was much more 
beautiful. 


THE NIGHTINGALE’S SONG. 

The Day has furled 
Her banners red, 

And all the world 
Lies cold and dead ; 

All light and gladness fled. 

Asleep ! — asleep, 

In slumber deep, 

Are maid and boy; 

And grief and joy, 

And pleasures — pains 

Are bound — fast bound in slumber’s chains. 
C 


.1 


KING OBERONS LIBRARY. 


x8 


Ah, slumbers keep 
The maid who sighs, 

The boy who cries, 

The bee that flies, 

In charmed sleep. 

See how the moon shines in the sky 
Her light so pale, 

O'er hill and dale; 

O’er dale and hill, 

So calm and still, 

In splendour flinging; 

And Mother Earth, 

At her bright birth, 

Hears me the night-bird singing. 

*Tis I ! 

Who in the darkness cry; 

The nightingale who sings, who sings on high. 
I call the elves 
To show themselves ; 

They creep from tree, from grass, from flowery 
In forest-bower 
At midnight hour, 

They dance — they dance, 

All night so bright — so light ; 

While I the woods with song entrance. 

Singing— Singing, 

My voice is ringing 
Thro 5 the still leaves, 

Till all the dark night heaves 
With pain — with pain 
Again — oh, sing again; 

Bring joy — bring tears, 

Till o’er the lawn 
The red, red dawn 
Appears — appears — appears. 


* 


KING OBERONS LIBRARY. 


i9 


While the nightingale was thus singing in such a capricious 
manner, paying no attention to metre or rhyme, the whole glade 
changed, but I was so entranced with the bird music, that I did 
not notice the transformation until I found myself in a splendid 
hall with a lofty ceiling, seated on a couch of green velvet. The 
trees around were now tall slender pillars of white marble, and 
between them hung long curtains of emerald velvet. The pool 
was still in the centre, with its broad white water-lilies asleep 
on its breast, but it was now encircled by a rim of white marble, 
and reflected, not the blue sky, but an azure ceiling, upon which 
fantastic patterns in gold reminded me somewhat of the intricate 
traceries of the trees. High up in the oval ceiling, in place of 
the moon, there hung a large opaque globe, from whence 
a soft, cool light radiated through the apartment. 

As I was looking at all these beautiful things, I heard a 
soft laugh, and, on turning round, saw a man of my own 
height, dressed in robes of pale green, with a sweeping white 
beard, a purple cap on his head, and a long slender staff in his 
hands. 

“ You don’t know me ? ” he said in a musical voice. “ My 
name is Phancie, and I am the librarian of the King.” 

“ Were you the faery ?” I asked, looking at him. 

“I am always a faery,” he replied, smiling. “You saw me 
as I generally appear to mortals ; but, as the King has given you 
permission to learn some of the secrets of Faeryland, I now 
appear to you in my real form.” 

“So this is the King’s library?” I said, looking round ; 
“ but how did I come here ? — or rather, how did the glade 
change to the library ?” 


20 


KING 0BER0NTS LIBRARY. 


“ The glade has not changed at all,” said Phancie quietly ; 
“ it is still around you, but your eyes have been unsealed, and 
you now see beneath the surface.” 

“ But I don’t understand,” I observed, feeling perplexed. 

“ It is difficult,” assented Phancie gravely, “but I can show 
you what I mean by an illustration. When you see a grub, it 
only looks to your eyes an ugly brown thing ; but my eyes can 
see below the outside skin, to where a beautiful butterfly is lying 
with folded wings of red and gold. The glade you saw was, so 
to speak, the skin of the library. Now, your sight has been 
made keen by the command of the King. You see this splendid 
room — it is still the glade, and still the room ; only it depends 
upon your sight being lightened or darkened.” 

“It doesn’t look a bit like the glade.” 

“ You don’t think so, of course,” said Phancie kindly ; “ but 
I will explain. The white pillars are the trunks of the trees ; 
the green curtains between are the green leaves ; the ceiling 
is the blue sky ; the white globe that gives light is the moon ; 
and the golden fretwork on the ceiling is the leaves and boughs 
of the trees shining against the clear sky.” 

“ And the books ? ” I asked quickly. 

“ Here are the books,” he replied, drawing one of the green 
curtains a little on one side, and there I saw rows of volumes in 
brown covers, which reminded me somewhat of the tint of the 
withered leaves. 

“You can stay here as long as you like,” said Phancie, 
dropping the curtain, “ and read all the books.” 

“ Oh, I can’t stay long enough for that,” I said regretfully. 
“ I would be missed from my house.” 


KING OBERONS LIBRARY. 


21 


“ No, you would not,” he replied. “ Time in Faeryland is 
different from time on earth — five minutes with you means five 
years with us — so if you stay here thirty years, you will only 
have been away from earth half an hour.” 

“ But Fm afraid” — 

“ Still unconvinced ! ” interrupted Phancie, a little sadly, 
leading me forward to the pool of water. “You mortals never 
believe anything but what you see with your own eyes — look ! ” 

He waved his white wand, and the still surface of the water 
quivered as if a breeze had rippled across it ; then it became 
still again, and I saw my own room, and myself seated asleep 
in the arm-chair in front of a dull red fire. I closed my eyes 
for a moment, and when I looked again the vision had 
vanished. 

“How is it my body is there and I am here ?” I asked, 
turning to Phancie. 

“What you saw is your earthly body,” he said quietly, “but 
the form you now wear is your real body — like the butterfly and 
the grub of which I told you. Now, you can look at the books. 
You will not remember all you read, because there are some 
thoughts you may not carry back to earth ; but the King will 
let you remember seven stories which you can tell to the children 
of your world. They will believe them, but you — ah ! you will 
say they are dreams.” 

“ Oh no, I won’t,” I said eagerly, “because it would not be 
true. This is not a dream.” 

“ No, it is not a dream,” he said sadly; “but you will think 
it to be so.” 

“ Never ! ” 


22 


KING OBERONS LIBRARY. 


“ Oh yes, you will. Mortals never believe." 

I turned angrily away at this remark, but when I looked 
again to reply, Phancie had vanished — faded away like a wreath 
of snow in the sunshine, and I was alone in the beautiful room 

Oh, it was truly a famous library, containing the most 
wonderful books in the world, but none of which I had seen 
before, except the faery tales. In one recess I found the lost 
six books of Spensers Faerie Queene, the last tales told by 
Chaucer’s Canterbury Pilgrims, the end of Coleridge’s Christabel ’ 
some forgotten plays of Shakespeare, and many other books 
which had been lost on earth, or which the authors had failed 
to complete. I learned afterwards that they finished their 
earthly works in Faery land, and that none of the books they had 
written during their lives were in the library, but only those 
they had not written. 

You will not know the names of the books I have men- 
tioned, because you are not old enough to understand them 
but when you grow up, you will, no doubt, read them all — .iot 
the faery books, of course, but all the others which the ^ien I 
mention have written. 

In another recess I found nothing but faery tales — Jack and 
the Beanstalk , The White Cat , The Yellow Dwarf, and many 
others, which were all marked The Chronicles of Faeryland. 

I do not know how long I was in the library, because there 
was no day or night, but only the soft glow of the moon-lamp 
shining through the room. I read many, many of the books, 
and they were full of the most beautiful stories, which all 
children would love to hear; but, as Phancie said, I only 
remember seven, and the? 2 seven I will now relate. 


KING OBERONS LIBRARY 


23 


I hope you will like them very much, for they are all true 
stories in which the faeries took part, and there is more wisdom 
in them than you would think. 

The faeries understand them, and so do I, because I have 
faery blood in my veins ; but many grown-up people who read 
them will laugh, and say they are only amusing fables. The 
wise children, however, who read carefully and slowly will find 
out the secrets they contain, and these secrets are the most 
beautiful things in the world. 

So now I have told you how I was permitted to enter 
Faeryland, I will relate the stories I remember which I read 
in the faery palace, and the clever child who finds out the real 
meanings of these stories will perhaps some day receive an 
invitation from King Oberon to go to Faeryland and see all the 
wonders of his beautiful library. 




THE RED ELF 


i. 


HOW THE RED ELF RAN AWAY FROM FAERYLAND. 

AERYLAND lies between the Kingdom of the 
Shadows and the Country of the Giants. If 
you want to reach it you must sail across the 
Sea of Darkness, which rolls everlastingly round 
these three strange places, and separates them 
from our world. Then you journey first through 
the Giants’ Country, the inhabitants of which are very like 
ourselves, only larger and fiercer, with very little spiritual 
nature in their enormous bodies ; afterwards you pass into 
Faeryland, where the elves are bright, graceful creatures, 
who possess forms like ours, and not a little of our nature. 
Beyond lies the strange Kingdom of Shadows, where dwell 
things which have very little in common with our earth ; they 
are the shadows of the past and the future, of what has been, 
and what yet shall be. Mortals have strayed by chance into 
the Giants’ Country, and in old stories we are told they have 




26 


THE RED ELF. 


lived in Faeryland, but no living man or woman has ever seen 
the Kingdom of Shadows, nor will they ever see it during 
life. 

Now, the Faeries, being afraid of the Shadows, never enter 
their kingdom, but they also never enter the Country of the 
Giants, because they despise them very much as being lower 
than themselves, much the same as we look down upon the 
uncivilised savages of Africa. Oberon, who, as you know, is 
the King of Faery, made a law that no elf should ever go into 
the Giants’ Country, being afraid lest the faeries should learn 
things there which would bring evil on his own land. So when 
the faeries want to visit our earth, they do not cross the Giants’ 
Country, but come in another way which is known only to them- 
selves. Having thus explained how these three countries lie, I 
will now tell you of a naughty elf who, disobeying the King’s 
command, lost himself in the Giants’ Country, and of the difficulty 
he had in getting back to Faeryland. 

The elf’s name was Gillydrop, a beautiful little creature all 
dressed in clothes of a pale green tint, which is the favourite 
colour of the faeries, as every one knows who has seen them 
dance in the moonlight. Now Gillydrop was full of curiosity, 
which is a very bad thing, as it leads people into a great deal of 
trouble, and although he had never bothered his head about the 
Giants’ Country before, as soon as he heard the proclamation of 
Oberon he immediately determined to see for himself what the 
giants were like. Do you not think this was a very naughty 
thing for him to do ? it certainly was, but he was punished for 
his disobedience, as all naughty people are sooner or later. 

He spoke to two or three faeries in order to get them to 


THE RED ELF. 


27 


join him, but they would not disobey the King’s command, and 
advised him to give up his foolish idea. 

“ The King is very wise,” they said, “ and no doubt he has a 
good reason for not letting us visit the Giants’ Country, so you 
ought to do as he tells you.” 

“I don’t care,” replied naughty Gillydrop; “ I’m sure 
there is something in the Giants’ Country the King does not 
want us to know, and I am determined to find out what 
it is.” 

So, in spite of all warnings, he spread his beautiful wings, 
which were spotted silver and blue, like a white-clouded sky, 
and flew away through the woods. It was night-time, for, of 
course, that is the faeries’ day, but the way to Giants’ Country 
was so long that by the time he reached the end of the forest, 
and came to the boundary of Faeryland, the red dawn was 
breaking, so he crept into the bosom of a rose, and, after getting 
a honey supper from a friendly bumble-bee, curled himself up to 
sleep. 

All through the long day, while the sun was high in the 
blue sky, he slept, lulled by the swaying of the flower, which 
rocked like a cradle, and soothed by the whisper of the wind 
and the buzzing of the bees as they hummed round his rose- 
house. 

At last the weary, hot day came to an end, the silver moon 
arose in the dark blue sky, the wind sighing through the forest 
made the delicate leaves tremble with its cool breath, and the 
elf awoke. He left the kind rose, which had sheltered him in 
her golden heart from the heat of the day, and flew towards the 
rippling stream which lies on the confines of Faeryland. Away 


28 


THE RED ELF. 


in the distance, he could hear the murmuring laughter of the 
faeries, as they danced to the sound of elfin music, but he was 
too anxious to get into the Giants’ Country to trouble himself 
about his old friends. 

J ust as he was about to cross the boundary, the leaves of the 
Faery forest sighed out the word “ Beware ! ” but, not heeding 
the warning, he flew across the stream, and found himself at last 
in the terrible country where dwelt the foolish giants and the 
evil ogres. As he alighted upon an enormous daisy, which was 
as large as a mushroom, a voice rang out from Faeryland, full 
and clear, like the sound of a beautiful bell : 

“ Never more come back you need, 

Till you’ve done some kindly deed.” 


And so when Gillydrop looked back, he saw no green 
banks, no tall trees, no beautiful flowers, but only a wide grey 
ocean sleeping in sullen stillness under the cold light of the 
moon. 

He was now flying over a dreary waste plain, with great 
circles of upright stones standing here and there, and a bitter 
cold wind blowing shrilly across the flat country towards the 
sullen grey sea. Had he not been able to fly, he would never 
have crossed the plain, because the grass stood up like mighty 
spears, and the furze bushes were like great trees. On every 
side he saw immense mountains, blue in the distance, lifting 
their snowy summits to the clouds, with great trees at their foot 
looking like enormous hills of leaves. There were no birds 
flying in the cold air, and no animals crawling on the bleak 
earth; everything seemed dead and silent, except the wind, 


THE RED ELF, 


29 


which moaned through the mighty trees like the roaring of 
oceans. 

There are no towns in Giantland, because the giants are 
not very fond of one another, and prefer to live by themselves 
in lonely castles among the mountains. Gillydrop knew this, 
but, although he looked on every side, he could see no sign 
of any castle, until at last he suddenly came on one which was 
quite in ruins, and so tumbled down that no one could possibly 
dwell in it. He flew on, feeling rather afraid, and came to 
another castle, also in ruins, with a huge white skeleton lying at 
the foot of a high tower, which was no doubt the skeleton of 
the giant who had lived there. 

Then he found a third, a fourth, a fifth castle, all deserted 
and in ruins. It seemed as though all the giants were dead, 
and Gillydrop, in despair at the sight of such desolation, was 
about to fly back to Faery land, when he suddenly thought of 
the voice which had said : 

“Never more come back you need, 

Till you’ve done some kindly deed.” 


Poor Gillydrop was now in a dreadful plight, and, folding 
his weary wings, he dropped to the ground, where he sat in the 
hollow of a buttercup, which was like a large golden basin, and 
wept bitterly. He could never return to Faeryland until he 
had done some kindly deed, but, as there was no one to 
whom he could do a good deed, he did not see how he could 
perform any, so cried dreadfully at the thought of living for 
evermore in the desolate Giants’ Country. So you see what 
his disobedience had brought him to, for, instead of dancing 


30 


THE RED ELF. 


merrily with his friends in the Forest of Faeryland, he was 
seated, a poor, lonely little elf, in a dreary, dreary land, with 
no one to comfort him. 

While he was thus weeping, he heard a sound like distant 
thunder ; but, as there were no clouds in the sky, he knew it 
could not be thunder. 

“ It must be a giant roaring/ said Gillydrop, drying his eyes 
with a cobweb. “ I’ll go and ask him where all his friends 
have gone/’ 

So he flew away in the direction from whence came the 
sound, and speedily arrived at a great grey castle, with many 
towers and battlements, perched on the top of a very high hill. 
At its foot rolled the Sea of Darkness, and round the tall towers 
the white mists were wreathed like floating clouds. There was 
a wide road winding up the steep sides of the rock to the castle 
door, which was as high as a church; but Gillydrop, having 
wings, did not use the road, so flew right into the castle through 
an open window. 

The giant, whose name was Dunderhead, sat at one end of 
a large hall, cutting slices of bread from an enormous loaf which 
lay on the table in front of him. He looked thin, — very, very 
thin, — as though he had not had a good dinner for a long time ; 
and he thumped the table with the handle of his knife as he 
sang this song, taking a large bit of bread between every verse * 

THE GIANT’S SONG. 

Oh, if my life grows harder, 

I’ll wish that I were dead 1 
There’s nothing in the larder 
Except this crust of bread. 


THE RED ELF, 




With hunger I am starving, 

And it would give me joy 

If just now I was carving 
A little girl or boy. 

I’ve drunk up all the coffee, 

I’ve eaten all the lamb, 

I’ve swallowed all the toffee 
And finished all the jam. 

I want to get some plum-cake — 

I only wish I could ; 

For if I can’t get some cake 
I’ll die for want of food. 

Here Dunderhead stopped singing with a roar of pain, for 
while cutting himself some more bread, the knife slipped and 
gashed his hand in a most terrible manner. A great spout of 
blood gushed out like a torrent and settled into a dark red pool 
on the table, while the giant, roaring with anger, wrapped up 
his wounded hand in his handkerchief, which was as large as a 
tablecloth. 

“ What are you crying about, giant ? ” asked Gillydrop, who 
had perched himself on the table, where he sat, looking like a 
green beetle. 

“ I’ve cut my finger,” said the giant in a sulky tone ; 
“ you’d cry, too, if you cut your finger. Don’t call me a giant 
— my name is Mr. Dunderhead. What is your name ?” 

“Gillydrop. I’m a faery.” 

“ I thought you were a beetle,” said Dunderhead crossly. 
“ What do you want here ? ” 

“ I’ve come to see the giants, Mr. Dunderhead,” replied 
Gillydrop. 


32 


THE RED ELK 


“ You won’t see any, then,” said Dunderhead, making a 
face. “ They’re all dead except me. I’m the last of the giants. 
You see, we ate up every boy and girl that lived near us, and all 
the sheep, and all the cattle, until there was nothing left to eat ; 
and as none of us could cross the Sea of Darkness, every one 
died except me, and I won’t live long — this loaf is all I’ve got 
to eat.” 

“ Perhaps if I do a kindly deed to Dunderhead by getting 
him a meal, I’ll be able to go back to Faeryland,” thought 
Gillydrop, as he listened to the giant’s story. 

“ Well, what are you thinking about ? ” growled Dunder- 
head, cutting himself another slice of bread. 

“ I was thinking how I could get you some food,” replied 
Gillydrop. 

“ What ! you ? ” roared the giant ; “ a little thing like you 
get me food! Ha, ha, ha!” and he thumped the table with 
his great fist. 

Now, as he did this, everything on the table jumped up 
with the shock, and so did Gillydrop, who had no time to 
spread his wings and prevent himself falling ; so when he fell 
he came down splash into the pool of blood. He gave a cry of 
terror when he fell in, and after crawling out with some difficulty, 
he found his beautiful green clothes were all red, just as if he 
had been dipped in red ink. 

The rude giant laughed heartily at the poor elf’s plight, but 
to Gillydrop it was no laughing matter, for there is nothing the 
faeries dislike so much as the colour red. 

“ Oh dear, dear, dear ! ” sighed Gillydrop, while the tears 
ran down his face ; “ now I’ll never go back to Faeryland.” 



THE RUDE GIANT LAUGHED HEARTILY AT THE POOR ELF S PLIGHT 






















































































































































































































































































































THE RED ELF. 


33 


“ Why not?” asked Dunderhead, who was still eating. 

“ Because my clothes are red,” replied the elf ruefully ; “no 
one who wears red clothes is allowed to live in Faery land. 
Cannot I clean my clothes ? ” 

“ No,” answered the giant, taking a bit out of the loaf. 
“You are dyed red with my blood, and the only way to get 
your clothes green again is to wash them in my tears.” 

“ Oh, let me do it at once ! ” cried Gillydrop, jumping up and 
down with delight. “ Do cry, Mr. Giant, please do.” 

“ I can’t cry when I'm told to,” growled Dunderhead; “but 
if you go to earth and bring me two nice fat children for supper, 
I’ll weep tears of joy, and then you can wash in my tears and 
become a green beetle again.” 

“ But how am I to bring the children here ? ” asked Gilly- 
drop, who never thought of the poor children being eaten, but 
only how he could get his emerald suit once more. 

“ That’s your business,” growled Dunderhead crossly, for 
you see he had eaten all the loaf, and was still hungry. “ I’m 
going to sleep, so if you want to clean your clothes, bring me 
the children, and you can wash in the tears of joy I shed.” 

So saying, the giant leaned back in his chair and fell fast 
asleep, snoring so loudly that the whole room shook. 

Poor Gillydrop, in his red clothes, spread his red wings, and, 
alighting on the beach of the Sea of Darkness, he wondered 
how he was to cross it, for he knew he was too feeble to fly all 
the way. 

“ Oh, I wish I hadn’t been naughty ! ” he said to himself. 
“ I’ll never see my dear Faery land again.” 

And he cried red tears, which is a most wonderful thing, 

E 


34 


THE RED ELK 


even for a faery to do. It was no use crying, however, for 
crying helps no one ; so he looked about for a boat to carry him 
across the Sea of Darkness, but no boat could he see. 

Gillydrop was almost in despair, when suddenly the sun 
arose in the east, and a broad shaft of yellow light shot across 
the Sea of Darkness like a golden bridge. 

On seeing this, the Red Elf clapped his hands with glee, for, 
being a faery, he could easily run along a sunbeam ; so, without 
waiting a moment, he jumped on to the broad golden path, and 
ran rapidly across the Sea of Darkness, which heaved in black 
billows below. 

il. 


HOW THE ELF BROUGHT THE GIANT*S SUPPER. 

As the sun grew stronger, the beam shot farther and farther 
across the Sea of Darkness, until it quite bridged it over, and 
you may be sure Gillydrop ran as hard as ever he could, so as 
to reach earth quickly. It was lucky he did make haste, for, 
just as he alighted on a green lawn near a village, the sun hid 
himself behind a cloud, and of course the beam vanished. 

Having thus arrived, Gillydrop began to look about for two 
naughty children to take to the Giants’ Country for Dunder- 
heads supper. He was very tired, both with his journey across 
the Sea of Darkness, and with being up all day, which was just 
the same to him as staying up all night would be to us. As 
he was anxious to get back to Faery land, there was no time to 
be lost, so, instead of going to sleep, he searched all through 
the village for two naughty children. 


THE RED ELF. 


35 


Now, in one of the pretty cottages there lived a poor widow, 
who had two children called Teddy and Tilly, of whom she 
was very fond, as they were all she had in the world to love. 
I am sorry to say, however, that Teddy and Tilly were not 
worthy of their mother’s love, for they were very naughty 
indeed, and never so happy as when engaged in some mischief. 
Dame Alice, for that was the name of the poor widow, tried 
very hard to improve them, but it was really a waste of time, 
for the harder she tried the worse they became. They tore their 
nice clean clothes, worried the cat, destroyed the flowers, ate 
up everything they could lay their hands on, and altogether 
were a great trouble to their poor mother, who often wondered 
why her children were so much worse than any one else’s. 
Dame Alice, however, had still some hope that they would 
improve, for, having a few friends among the faeries, she had 
learned that some day both Teddy and Tilly would receive a 
severe lesson, which would make them the best and most 
obedient children in the world. 

There was a wood, not far from the village, which was 
said to be enchanted, and Teddy and Tilly were told never to 
enter it, but this command only made them the more anxious 
to disobey, and they constantly wandered about the wood, never 
thinking of the faeries, nor of anything else, except their own 
pleasure. On the day Gillydrop arrived, they had been in the 
wood all day, gathering nuts and chasing the squirrels. Now, 
as it was sundown, they were coming home to their supper, 
quarrelling dreadfully all the way, which was very naughty of 
them after spending a pleasant day. 

Gillydrop heard them calling each other names, so he 


3* 


THE RED ELF. 


peeped out from behind the leaf of a tree, where he was hidden, 
and, seeing their cross faces, he immediately guessed that they 
were two children who would do capitally for Dunderheads 
supper, so at once made up his mind how to act. 

It was now night, and, as the faeries say, night is caused 
by the overflowing of the Sea of Darkness, which rises and 
rises when the sun goes down, until it rolls all over the earth, 
and any one abroad during the night is in danger of being lost 
in its black waves. At dawn, however, the sea subsides, and 
vanishes altogether when the sun appears ; but when he sets 
in the west, it rises once more and spreads over the earth. 

Gillydrop had brought with him a withered leaf from the 
Giants* Country, which, being enchanted, would expand into 
a boat, and sail across the Sea of Darkness to the Giants* 
Country, for, having come from there, it was bound to return 
to the tree upon which it had grown. 

The Red Elf took this leaf out of his pocket, and immedi- 
ately it spread out into a great brown carpet, which he placed 
under a tree in the darkest part, and then went away to entice 
the children on to it. 

Teddy and Tilly came through the wood, quarrelling in a 
noisy manner, and calling each other ugly names ; not a bit 
afraid of the dark, although they certainly ought to have 
been. 

“ You’re eating all the nuts,” bellowed Teddy. 

“Well, I gathered them,” shrieked Tilly. 

“No, you didn’t; I got most,” whimpered her brother 
crossly. 

“Oh, you story! You didn’t,” retorted Tilly. 


THE RED ELF. 


37 


And then they called each other more ugly names, and 
fought and scratched until the whole wood resounded with 
their noise, and the birds trembled in their nests with fear. 

Suddenly, in front of them, they saw a small red ball, 
glowing like a scarlet coal, and it kept dancing up and down 
like a restless will-o’-the-wisp. 

“Oh, Teddy,” cried Tilly, “look at that pretty ball!” 

“ It’s mine ! ” roared greedy Teddy, rushing forward. " I’ll 
have it.” 

“You shan’t!” cried Tilly, running after him. “I’ll get 
it.” 

But the red ball — which was none other than Gillydrop — 
rolled and rolled in front of the children through the dark wood, 
and led them deeper and deeper into the forest, until it bounded 
right on to a brown carpet lying under a great tree, where it 
lay glowing like a red-hot coal. Teddy and Tilly jumped on 
to the brown carpet with a scream of delight, thinking they 
would now seize the ball, when suddenly the sides of the brown 
leaf curled up, and it lengthened out into a long boat. The 
darkness under it grew thicker and thicker, the foliage of the 
tree above vanished, and the two naughty children found them- 
selves in a boat, rolling and tossing on the black waves, with 
a gloomy, starless sky above them. Away at the end of the 
boat sat Gillydrop, who had now unrolled himself, and was 
guiding the magic skiff across the Sea of Darkness towards 
the Country of the Giants. 

“ Oh, I want to go home ! ” cried Tilly, now very frightened. 

“ And so do I ! ” roared Teddy, sitting close to her. 

As they said this, they both heard a mocking ripple of 


3 « 


THE RED ELF. 


laughter, and saw the Red Elf dancing with glee at the end 
of the boat. 

“ You’ll never go home again,” he cried mockingly, 
“because you have been naughty, and must be punished.” 

“ I’ll never be naughty again,” sobbed Tilly. 

“No more will I,” echoed Teddy; and they both wept 
bitterly. 

“ It’s too late now,” said Gillydrop, shaking his head. 
“ Naughty children always get punished.” 

He might have said the same thing about himself ; but then 
he was a faery, and felt ashamed to tell two human beings that 
he had been as naughty as themselves. 

Teddy and Tilly cried dreadfully as they thought of their 
poor mother waiting for them at home, and of the nice supper 
of bread and milk which she had prepared for them ; but their 
tears were all of no avail, for the magic boat sailed on and 
on, though how it moved without sails or oars they could not 
tell. 

At last they saw a faint silver light away in the distance, 
and a cool breeze blew steadily against them. The light grew 
larger and larger until it spread everywhere, and they saw the 
shores of the Giants’ Country, with Dunderhead’s great castle 
hovering above them. The boat ran right up on to the beach, 
and then, suddenly turning into a leaf, contracted to a small 
size and flew away to another beech, but this time the beech 
was a tree. 

The Red Elf vanished as soon as the leaf, and Teddy and 
Tilly, finding themselves alone in this dreary land, began to 
cry loudly. It would have been better for them if they had 


THE RED ELK 


39 


held their tongues, for Dunderhead, hearing two children crying, 
knew at once that the elf had brought them for his supper, 
and came down to seize them before they could get away. 

“ Ah ! this is the supper my friend the elf has brought me,” 
he roared, picking up the children. “I’m so pleased! Now 
I’ll boil them.” 

You may be sure that Teddy and Tilly were in a dreadful 
fright on hearing this, as they did not want to be boiled ; but, 
in spite of all their cries, Dunderhead took them up to the 
great hall of his castle, and set them down on the table. 

They were so fat and juicy that the Giant cried tears of 
joy at the prospect of having a good supper, and as his tears 
gushed out in a great torrent, Gillydrop, who had been waiting 
for this, plunged into the torrent to get his clothes cleaned 
again. Much to his dismay, however, the more he washed in 
the hot tears, the redder grew his clothes, until he was just the 
colour of the scarlet bean blossom. 

“ You told me a story,” said Gillydrop to the giant when he 
saw how red he was getting. 

“ I know I did,” said Dunderhead, drying his eyes, for he 
had now wept enough, and was growing hungry; “but if I 
hadn’t told you a story, I wouldn’t have got any supper. You’ll 
never be green again, so don’t trouble your head. I’m going 
to get some wood to cook these nice fat children.” 

On hearing this, Teddy and Tilly roared like bulls, and 
Gillydrop roared too, for he was afraid he would never be able 
to go back to Faeryland in his red clothes ; but the giant only 
laughed at them, and went out to light a fire under his big 
kettle. 


4 * 


THE RED ELF 


Gillydrop was naturally very cross with the giant for 
having deceived him, and determined to punish him for having 
done so. Bringing the two children to Dunderhead for his 
supper could not be the kindly deed he had to do, or else he 
would have turned green again ; so Gillydrop made up his 
mind to take Teddy and Tilly back to earth, and thus leave 
Dunderhead without his supper. While he was thus making 
up his mind, seated at one end of the table, the two children, 
seated at the other end, were crying bitterly at the plight in 
which they now found themselves, for it certainly is not a nice 
thing to be boiled for an ogre’s supper. 

“Poor mother!” wailed Tilly, weeping; “ she’ll miss us so 
much.” 

“I don’t know if she will,” replied Teddy dolefully; 
we’ve always been so naughty, I daresay she’ll be glad we’ve 
gone.” 

“Oh no, she won’t,” said Tilly, nodding her head; “she 
loves us too much for that ; but if we could get back I’d be so 
good.” 

“And so would I,” cried Teddy ; and then they both wept 
again, while Gillydrop, seeing their tears, wept also out of 
sheer sympathy. 

“ Perhaps the giant will only eat one of us,” said Tilly 
after a pause ; “ so while one of us is boiling, the other must 
run away and go back to comfort mother.” 

“Who will be boiled?” asked Teddy sadly. “Will you, 
Tilly?” 

“ I don’t like being boiled,” answered Tilly, with a shudder. 
“ I'm sure it isn’t nice.” 


THE RED ELF. 


4i 


“ Well, I don’t like being boiled either,” observed Teddy. 
“ Suppose we draw lots who is to run away.” 

“Yes, that would be fair,” said Tilly, drying her eyes; 
“and the one who wins must go back to cheer mother.” 

Gillydrop was quite sorry now that he had brought them 
for Dunderhead’s supper, when he heard how they regretted 
their mother ; so he made up his mind to save them. 

“You shall neither of you be boiled,” he said, walking up 
to them across the table, which was like a large plain. “ I will 
take you back to your mother.” 

“ But how ?” asked Teddy and Tilly, both together. “ We 
cannot go back across the sea alone.” 

“ Oh yes, you can,” replied the Red Elf. “ I brought 
you here, and can send you back ; that is, if I only had a 
leaf.” 

“ Here is one,” cried Tilly eagerly, pulling a faded leaf out 
of her pocket. “ I picked it up in the wood to-day, it had such 
pretty red and yellow colours.” 

“ Oh, that will do for a boat,” said Gillydrop joyfully. 

“ But it’s so small,” objected Teddy. 

“ I’ll make it large enough,” said the elf. “You’ll see.” 

“ But how can we go on without sails or oars ? ” said Tilly 
timidly. 

“You don’t need any,” rejoined Gillydrop, laughing; “you 
know every tree has power to draw back its own leaves. The 
boat we came in was a leaf, and, as soon as it was launched on 
the air, it went straight back to the tree in the Country of the 
Giants upon which it had grown ; and as this leaf comes from a 
tree on earth, it will go straight back to its tree.” 

F 


42 


THE RED ELF. 


‘‘Then we can get home,” cried Tilly, clapping her hands, 
“ for the tree isn’t far from mother’s cottage.” 

“ Mind, you are never to be naughty again,” said Gillydrop 
solemnly. 

“Oh, no, no!” cried both children. 

“ And be very, very good to your mother.” 

“ Yes, yes ! We’ll be very good.” 

“ Then go down to the beach by the path,” said Gillydrop, 
spreading his wings. “I’ll fly down and get the boat ready ; be 
quick, or the giant will return.” 

Then he flew away through the open window, and Teddy 
scrambled down the steep path, followed by Tilly, both of them 
in a great fright lest the giant should catch sight of them and 
pop them into his big kettle. When they reached the beach, 
they found Gillydrop had launched the leaf, which had now 
been transformed into a beautiful red and yellow coloured 
boat. 

“ Good-bye,” said Gillydrop, as soon as they were com- 
fortably seated in the boat. “I’m sorry I brought you here, 
but it will do you no harm, as it will teach you to be good. 
Mind you don’t quarrel in the boat — if you do, the leaf will 
vanish, and you’ll sink for ever in the black waves.” 

“ Oh, we’ll be very, very good,” promised both the children 
eagerly, and then Gillydrop gave the boat a push, so that it 
moved rapidly away from the land, leaving him seated on the 
beach, a lonely little red figure. 

Teddy and Tilly were rather afraid at finding themselves 
alone in the darkness, but they kissed one another, and fell 
asleep, while the leaf-boat sailed rapidly over the Sea of Dark* 


THE RED ELE 


43 


ness towards its parent tree. When the children awoke, they 
found themselves lying on the ground under the tree, and there 
above them was their red and yellow boat, hanging, a red and 
yellow leaf, on a high bough. 

“Now we’ll go home,” cried Tilly, jumping up; “now 
we’ll go home to mother.” 

“And be very good,” said Teddy, also rising. 

“Yes; very, very good,” replied Tilly. And then, taking 
one another’s hands, they ran home to their cottage through the 
dark forest. 

Dame Alice, who thought they had lost themselves in the 
wood, was very glad to see them, and, after she had kissed them, 
gave them a good supper of bread and milk, which they enjoyed 
very much, for you see they were very hungry with the long 
journey. 

They told Dame Alice all their adventures, and she was very 
glad they had gone to the Giants’ Country, for she guessed, like 
the wise mother she was, that this was the lesson the faeries 
had foretold. 

Ever afterwards, Teddy and Tilly were good children ; there 
never were two such good children, because they thought, if 
they were not good, they would be taken back to the Giants’ 
Country and boiled for an ogre’s supper. But after a time they 
liked to do good actions because they found it pleasant, and 
Dame Alice was so pleased with their behaviour that she made 
a rhyme about them, which soon passed into a proverb : 

“The magic power of a faery 
Cures a child when quite contrary.” 


44 


THE RED ELF. 


III. 

HOW THE RED ELF RETURNED TO FAERYLAND. 

When Gillydrop saw the magic boat disappear into the 
darkness of the sea, he thought that, now he had done one 
kindly deed, his clothes would change from red to green, and 
he would be able to return to his dear Faeryland. But nothing 
of the sort occurred, and the poor elf began to cry again, 
thinking he was lost for ever, but this time his tears were 
not red, which was a good sign, although he did not know it. 

Very soon he heard Dunderhead roaring for the loss of his 
supper, so, drying his eyes, he flew back again to the hall of the 
castle, to see what the glint was doing. He found a great fire 
was lighted, over which was suspended a great kettle filled with 
water, which was now boiling hot. Dunderhead was searching 
everywhere for the children, and when he saw Gillydrop he 
shook his great fist at him. 

“ Where's my supper, you red rag ? ” he roared fiercely. 

“Your supper has gone back to earth," replied Gillydrop 
angrily, for no one likes to be called a red rag. “ You told me 
a story, so I thought I’d punish you." 

“Oh, did you?” bellowed Dunderhead, in a rage. “Then 
I’ll punish you also for spoiling my supper." And before 
Gillydrop could fly away, he caught him in his great hand and 
popped him into the boiling water. 

Oh, it was terribly hot, and Gillydrop thought it was all 
over with him ; but, being a Faery, he could not be killed, as 
the foolish giant might have known. He sank down, down, 


THE RED ELK 


45 


right to the bottom of the great kettle, and then arose once 
more to the top. As soon as he found his head above water, 
he sprang out of the kettle and flew away high above the head 
of Dunderhead, who could only shake his fist at him. 

To his delight and surprise, Gillydrop found his clothes had 
all changed from red to green, and instead of being dressed in 
crimson, his suit was now of a beautiful emerald colour. He 
was so delighted that he flew down on to the floor of the hall, 
and began to dance and sing, while the giant joined in as he 
tried to catch him ; so that they had quite a duet. 

Gillydrop. Now I’m gay instead of sad, 

For I’m good instead of bad : 

Dreadful lessons I have had. 

Giant. I will catch and beat you 1 

Gillydrop. Tho’ a naughty elf I’ve been, 

Now my clothes are nice and clean : 

I dance once more a faery green. 

Giant. I will catch and eat you 1' 

But you see he could not do that, because Gillydrop was too 
quick for him, and flew round the hall, laughing at Dunderhead, 
who roared with anger. Then the elf flew out on to the terrace 
which overlooked the Sea of Darkness, followed by the giant. 
Gillydrop flew down on^to the beach to escape the ogre, and 
Dunderhead tried to follow ; but, as he could not fly, he fell 
right into the Sea of Darkness. Dear me! what a terrible 
splash he made ! The waves arose as high as the castle walls, 
but then they settled down again over Dunderhead, who was 
suffocated in the black billows. He was the very last of the 
giants, and now his bones lie white and gleaming in the depths 


46 


THE RED ELF. 


of the Sea of Darkness, where nobody will ever find them — nor 
do I think any one would trouble to look for them. 

As for Gillydrop, now that Dunderhead was dead, he flew 
away across the dreary plain towards Faeryland, and soon 
arrived at the borders of the sullen grey sea which still rolled 
under the pale light of the moon. Gillydrop was not a bit 
afraid now, because his clothes were green once more, and he 
had performed one kindly deed ; so he sat down on the sea- 
shore and sang this song : 

“When from Faeryland I fled, 

All my nice clothes turned to red; 

Now in emerald suit I stand — 

Take me back to Faeryland.” 

And as he sang the grey ocean faded away, and in its place he 
saw the green trees of the faery forest, waving their branches 
in the silver moonlight. Only a bright sparkling stream now 
flowed between Gillydrop and Faeryland ; so, spreading his 
silver and blue wings, he flew across the water, singing gaily : 

“Thanks, dear Oberon. At last 
All my naughtiness is past ; 

Home I come without a stain, 

And will never roam again.” 

So at last Gillydrop got back to Faeryland after all his 
trials, and ever afterwards was one of the most contented elves 
ever known. You may be sure he never wanted to see the 
Country of the Giants again, and whatever King Oberon said 
he did willingly, because he knew it must be right. 

He was quite a hero among the faeries, and had the honour 
of telling all his adventures to King Oberon himself, which he 
did so nicely that the King gave him a title, and ever afterwards 
he was called “Sir Gillydrop the Fearless.” 


SHADOWLAND 



1 T was Christmas Eve, and the snow, falling 
heavily over a great city, was trying to hide with 
its beautiful white robe all the black, ugly 
houses and the narrow, muddy streets. 
The gas lamps stood up proudly, each on 
its tall post, and cast their yellow light 
on the crowds of people hurrying along 
with their arms filled with many lovely presents for good children. 

“ They are poor things, ” said the gas lamps scornfully. “ If 
we did not shed our light upon them, they would be lost in the 
streets.” 

“ Ah, but the people you despise made you,” cried the church 
bells, which were calling the people to prayer. “ They made you 
— they made you, and gave you your beautiful yellow crowns.” 

But the street lamps said nothing, because they could not 
deny what the church bells said, and instead of acknowledging 
that they owed all their beauty to the people they despised, 
remained obstinately silent. 

Near one of these lamp-posts, at the end of a street, stood 
a ragged boy, who shivered dreadfully in his old clothes, and 



48 


SHADOWLAND. 


stamped about to keep himself warm. The boy s name was Tom, 
and he was a crossing-sweeper, as could be seen by his well- 
worn broom. He was very cold and very hungry, for he had 
not earned a copper all day, and the gaily-dressed army of 
people swept selfishly past him, thinking only of their Christmas 
dinners and warm homes. 

The snowflakes fell from the leaden-coloured sky like great 
white angels, to tell the earth that Christ would be born again 
on that night, but Tom did not have any such ideas, as he 


was quite ignorant of 
angels, and even of 
the birth of the 
child-Christ. He only 
looked upon the snow 
as a cold and cruel 
thing, which made him 
shiver with pain, and 
was a great trouble to 
brush away from his 
crossing. 



And overhead the 


mellow bells clashed out their glad tidings in the bitterly chill 
air, while below, in the warm, well -lighted churches, the 
organ rolled out its hymns of praise, and the worshippers 
said to one another, “ Christ is born again.” 

But poor Tom ! 

Ah, how cold and hungry he was, standing in the bright 
glare of the lamp, with his rags drawn closely round him for 
protection against the falling snow. The throng of people grew 



AS TOM PICKED IT UP HE FELT THAT IT WAS FILLED WITH MONEY 







SHADOWLAND. 


49 


thinner and thinner, the gaily-decorated shops put up their 
shutters, the lights died out in the painted windows of the 
churches, the bells were silent, and only poor Tom remained in 
the deserted, lonely streets, with the falling snowflakes changing 
him to a white statue. 

He was thinking about going to his garret, when a gentleman, 
wrapped in furs, passed along quickly, and just as he came near 
Tom, dropped his purse, but, not perceiv- 
ing his loss, walked on rapidly through the 
driving snow. Tom’s first idea was to pick 
the purse up and restore it to its owner, 
whom Tom knew very well by sight, for he was a poet, who 
daily passed by Tom’s crossing. Then Tom paused for a 
moment as he thought of all the beautiful things the money in 
that purse would buy ; while he hesitated, the poet disappeared 
in the darkness of the night, so Tom was left alone with the 
purse at his feet. 

There it lay, a black object on the pure white snow, and as 
Tom picked it up, he felt that it was filled with money. Oh, 
how many things of use to him could that money buy — bread 
and meat and a cup of warm coffee — which would do him good. 
Tom slipped it into his pocket, and thought he would buy 
something to eat ; but just at that moment he seemed to hear 
a whisper in the air, — 

“ Thou shalt not steal.” 

With a start of terror Tom looked around, thinking a 
policeman had spoken, and would take him off to prison for 
stealing the purse, but no policeman was in sight. He saw 

nothing but the whirling flakes and his ragged shadow cast 

G 



50 


SHADOWLAND. 


blackly on the white snow by the light of the lamp. It could 
not have been the shadow speaking, as Tom thought, for he 
knew that shadows never speak ; but, ah ! he did not know 
the many wonderful things there are in this wonderful world 
of ours. 

Whoever had made the remark touched Tom’s heart, for 
he remembered how his poor mother had blessed him when she 
died, and told him to be an honest boy. It certainly would not 
be honest to steal money out of the purse, but Tom was so 
cold and hungry that he half thought he would do so. He 
took out the purse again and looked at its contents — four 
shining sovereigns and some silver. Then he put it back in 
his pocket, and trudged home with his broom under his arm. 

Home ! — ah, what a dreary, cheerless home it was ! — nothing 
but a garret on the top of an old house — a bare garret, with no 
table or chairs, but only the sacks upon which Tom slept at 
night. 

He closed the door, and then lighted a little bit of candle 
he had picked up in the streets with one of the matches from 
a box given him by a ragged match-seller. 

Tom placed the candle on the floor, and, kneeling down, 
opened the purse to look at the money once more. Oh, how 
tempted he was to take one of those shillings and buy some 
food and wood — it would be a merry Christmas for him then ! 
Other people were enjoying their Christmas, and why should 
he not do the same? The great poet who had dropped the 
purse had plenty of money, and would never miss this small 
sum ; so Tom, desperate with hunger, took a shilling, and, 
hiding the purse under his bed, was about to blow out the 


SHADOWLAND. 


5 * 


candle before creeping down-stairs to buy some food, when he 
heard a soft voice whisper, — 

“ Don’t go, Tom.” 



He turned round, and there was the shadow cast by the 
reflection of the candle-light on the wall. It was a very black 
shadow, much blacker than Tom had ever seen before, and as 
he looked it grew 
blacker and blacker 
on the wall, then 
seemed to grow 
out of it until it 
left the wall alto- 
gether, and stood 
by itself in the 
centre of the floor, 
a waving, black 
shadow of a ragged 
boy. Curiously 
enough, however, 

Tom could not see 
its face, but only 
the outline of its 
whole figure, yet it stood there shaking with every flicker of 
the candle, and Tom could feel that its eyes were looking right 
into him. 

“Don’t go, Tom,” said the shadow, in a voice so like his 
own that he started. “If you go, you will be lost for ever.” 

“Lost?” said Tom, with a laugh; “why, I couldn’t lose 
myself. I know every street in the city.” 


52 


SHADOWLAND. 


“ I don’t mean really lost,” replied the shadow ; “but it will 
be your first step on the downward path.” 

“Who are you ?” asked Tom, rather afraid of the shadow, 
but keeping a bold front. 

“ I am your shadow,” it replied, sighing. “ I follow you 
wherever you go, but only appear when there is light about 
you. If you had not lighted that candle I would not have 
appeared, nor could I have spoken.” 

“Was it you who spoke at the lamp-post?” said Tom 
doubtfully. 

“Yes, it was I,” answered the shadow. “I wanted to save 
you then, as I do now, from committing a crime. Sit down, 
Tom, and let us talk.” 

Tom sat down, and the shadow sat down also. Then 
for the first time he caught a passing glimpse of its face, 
just like his own, only the eyes were sad — oh, so sad and 
mournful ! 

“ Thou shalt not steal,” said the shadow solemnly. 

“ I don’t want to steal,” replied Tom sulkily; “but I’m cold 
and hungry. This shilling would buy me fire and food. I 
don’t call that stealing.” 

“Yes, but it is stealing,” answered the shadow, wringing its 
hands; “and you know it is. If you steal you will be put in 
prison, and then I shall have to go also. Think of that, Tom, 
think of that.” 

Tom did not say a word, but sat on the floor looking at the 
bright shilling in his hand which could procure him so many 
comforts. The shadow saw how eager he was to take the 
shilling, and, with a sigh, began to talk again. 


SHADOWLAND. 


53 


“Think of your mother, Tom,” it said softly. “She was 
the wife of a gentleman — your father; but he lost all his 
money, and when he died she could get no one to help her. 
Do you remember how she died herself in this very place, 
and how she implored you with her last breath to be an honest 
boy ? ” 

“Yes, I remember,” said Tom huskily; “but she did not 
know how cold and hungry I would be.” 

“Yes she did — she did,” urged the shadow. “She also 
had felt cold and hunger, but she never complained. She never 
stole, and now she has her reward, because she is a bright 
angel.” 

“ I don’t know what an angel is,” said Tom crossly; “but 
if she’s all right, why doesn’t she help me ? ” 

“She does help you, Tom,” said the shadow; “and it was 
because she saw you were tempted to steal to-night that she 
asked me to help you. She cannot speak as I do, because she 
is not a shadow.” 

“Well, help me if you’re able,” said Tom defiantly; “but I 
don’t believe you can.” 

The candle on the floor had burnt very low, and as Tom 
said the last words his shadow bent nearer and nearer, until he 
again saw those mournful eyes, which sent a shiver through his 
whole body. It stretched out its arms, and Tom felt them 
close round him like soft, clinging mist ; the candle flared up 
for a moment, and then went out, leaving Tom in darkness 
altogether. But he did not feel a bit afraid, for the soft arms 
of the shadow were round him, and he felt that it was carrying 
him through the air. 


54 


SHADOWLAND. 


They journeyed for miles and miles, but Tom knew not 
which direction they were taking until a soft light seemed to 
spread all around, and Tom felt that he was in the midst of a 
large crowd, although he saw no one near him. Then he 
felt his bare feet touch some soft, cloudy ground, that felt 
like a sponge ; the shadowy arms unclasped themselves, and 
he heard a voice, soft as the whispering of winds in summer, 
sigh,— 

“This is the Kingdom of Shadows.” 

Then Tom’s eyes became accustomed to the subdued 
twilight, and he saw on every side a number of shadows 
hurrying hither and thither. He seemed to be in the centre of 
a wide plain, over which hung a pale white mist, through which 
glimmered the soft light. The shadows were all gliding 
about this plain ; some thin, some fat, some tall, others short ; 
they all appeared to have business to do, and each appeared 
to be intent only on his own concerns. Tom’s own shadow 
kept close to him, and whispered constantly in his ear of strange 
doings. 

“ These are the shadows of the past and of the future,” it 
sighed; “all the shadows of human beings and their doings are 
here ; see, there is a funeral.” 

And a funeral it was which came gliding over the smooth, 
white plain ; the great black hearse, the dark horses with 
nodding plumes, and then a long train of mourners; all this 
came out of the mist at one end, glided slowly over the 
plain, and vanished in the veil of mist at the other. Then a 
bridal procession appeared ; afterwards a great army, clashing 
cymbals and blowing trumpets from whence no sound of music 


SHADOWLAND. 


55 


proceeded ; then the coronation triumph of a king, and later on 
a confused multitude of men, women, and children, all hurrying 
onward with eager rapidity. But they all came out of the mist 
and went into the mist, only appearing on the white plain for a 
few minutes, like the shadows of a magic lantern. 

‘‘The stage of the world,” whispered Tom's shadow. 
“ Birth, death, and marriage, triumphs and festivities, joys 
and sorrows, all pass from mist to mist, and none know whence 
they come or whither they go.” 

“ But what has this got to do with me ?” asked Tom, who 
was feeling rather bewildered. 

“You are a man,” said his shadow reproachfully, “and must 
take an interest in all that men do ; but come, and I will show 
you what will happen if you steal the purse.” 

They glided over the plain towards the distant curtain of mist, 
but how they travelled over the immense distance so rapidly 
Tom did not know, for in a moment it seemed to him that he 
had come many miles, and found himself suddenly before a 
grey, misty veil, with his own shadow beside him, and many 
other shadows around. 

As he stood there, a whisper like the murmur of the sea on 
a pebbly beach sounded in his ears, and he seemed to guess, 
rather than hear, what the shadows said. 

“ Now he will see — now he will see — he must choose the 
good or the bad. Which will he choose ? — which will he 
choose ? ” 

Then the grey veil stirred, as if shaken by a gentle wind, 
and, blowing aside, disclosed what seemed to Tom to be a great 
sheet of ice of dazzling whiteness set up on end. As he looked, 


56 


SHADOWLAND. 


however, shadows began to appear on the milky surface which 
acted a kind of play and then vanished, and in the play he was 
always the central figure. 

First he saw himself pick up the purse in the snowy street; 
then hide it in his bed. He saw his ragged shadow glide 
down-stairs from the garret to buy food ; the shopman looking 
at him, then at the shilling ; then a policeman arresting him and 
finding the purse hidden in the bed. Afterwards he saw 
himself in prison ; then released, and prowling about the streets. 
Years seemed to pass as he looked, and his shadow became 
taller and stouter, but always wearing a ragged dress. After 
many years he seemed to see his shadow breaking into a house 
— meet the owner of the house, and kill him. Afterwards the 
shadow of himself stood in the dock ; then crouched in prison ; 
and, last of all, he appeared standing under a black gallows 
with a rope round his neck. At length all the shadows vanished, 
and the surface of the ice mirror again became stainless, whilst 
a voice whispered in his ear, “ All this will happen if you steal 
the purse.” 

Then the shadows again came on to the mirror and acted 
another play ; but this time it was much more pleasant. 

Tom saw his shadow representative take the purse back to 
the poet who had lost it. Then he saw himself in a school, 
learning all kinds of wonderful things ; and the years rolled by, 
as they had done in the other play, unfolding the shadows of a 
beautiful life. He saw himself become a great and famous poet, 
who wrote beautiful books to make people wise and good. 
Then he saw himself in church, with a woman’s shadow by his 
side, and he knew, in some mysterious way, that it was the 



H 


















































■ • 



























































■ 












SHADOWLAND. 


59 


daughter of the poet who had lost the purse. And as the 
happy years rolled on he saw himsalf rich and honourable, and 
the end of all was a magnificent funeral, taking his body to be 
buried in the great church wherein many famous men were laid. 
Then the shadows vanished, and the mirror became pure again, 
while over it the grey mists fell like a soft veil, and once more 
the voice of his shadow said, — 

“ All this will happen if you remain honest.” 

Then the crowd of shadows around Tom looked at him 
with their mournful eyes, and a whispering question ran through 
the fantastic throng, — 

“Which will he choose ? — which will he choose?” 

“ I will choose the honest life,” cried Tom loudly. “Yes, I 
will give back the purse to the poet.” 

At this the shadows around seemed to rejoice, and he could 
see beautiful faces smiling at him from amid the crowd. The 
shadow multitude broke in a wild dance of joy, keeping time 
to some aerial music which Tom could not hear; and his own 
shadow, with happiness shining out of its mournful eyes, threw 
its arms round him once more. A dark veil seemed to fall 
over him, and the great white plain, the glimmering mists, and 
the restless shadows, vanished together. 

When Tom opened his eyes again, he found himself lying 
on the floor of his garret, cold and hungry still, but with his 
heart filled with a great joy, for the shilling was still clutched 
in his hand, and he knew he had not stolen the money. He 
took the purse from under the sacks, replaced the shilling, 
and then went out, in the bright sunshine of the Christmas 
morning, to give back the lost purse to its owner. 


So 


SHADOWLAND. 


Overhead the bells rang out merrily, as if they were rejoic- 
ing at Horn’s victory over himself, and a 
beautiful lady, who was on her way to 
\ ’*> church, gave Tom some money to get food. 
He went and bought a loaf and a cup of 
coffee, then, thankful for his good fortune, he trudged off to 
the poet’s house. 

The great poet received him very kindly, and, after thanking 
Tom for returning his purse, asked him why he had done so 
instead of keeping it ? Whereupon Tom told the poet all about 
the shadow, which interested the poet very much. He also 
had been to Shadowland and seen strange things, which he told 
to the world in wonderful verse. 

“ This boy is a genius,” he said to his wife, “ and I must 
help him.” 

Then it all happened as the magic mirror had foretold, for 
Tom was put to school by the kind poet, and became a very 
clever man. He also wrote poems, which the world received 
with joy ; and when he became a famous man, the kind poet 
gave him his own daughter in marriage, and the bells which 
had rang the birth of the child-Christ when Tom was a poor 
ragged boy, now rang out joyously in honour of his marriage. 

“He has conquered,” they clashed out in the warm, balmy 
air ; “ he is the victor, and now he will be happy.” 

And he was happy, very very happy, and felt deeply 
thankful to the shadow who had shown him the way to be 
happy. His own shadow never left him, but it never spoke to 
him again, though when Tom felt tempted to do wrong, he 
heard a whisper advising him to do right. Some people said 


SHADOWLAND. 


61 


that this was the voice of conscience, but Tom knew it was the 
voice of his dear shadow, who still watched over him. 

And one day he took his wife to the garret where he had 
lived when a poor boy, and told her how he had been to 
Shadowland, and learned that to be honest and noble was the 
only true way to happiness. His wife laughed, and said Tom 
had been dreaming ; but Tom shook his head, and said that it 
was no dream, but a great truth. 

Now, who do you think was right — Tom or his wife? 
































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■ ■ 

























































































) * 









































THE WATER-WITCH 


I. 

FIRE AND WATER. 

NCE upon a time, long long years ago, there was a 
shepherd called Duldy, who dwelt in the forests 
which clothed the base of the great mountain 
of Kel. This mountain was in the centre of an 
immense plain, watered by many rivers, and 
dotted over with many cities, for the kingdom 
of Metella was a very rich place indeed, so rich that the inhabit- 
ants looked upon gold in the same way as we look upon tin or 
iron, as quite a common thing. The plain was very fertile by 
reason of the great rivers which flowed through it like silver 
threads, and all these rivers took their rise in the mountain of 
Kel, a mighty snow-clad peak which shot up, white and shining, 
to the blue sky from amidst the bright green of its encircling 
forests. 

There were old stories handed down from father to son, which 
said that the mountain was once a volcano, which, breathing 
nothing but fire, sent great streams of red-hot lava down 

63 



64 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


to the fertile plain, to wither and blight all the beautiful 
gardens and rich corn-fields. But the fires in the breast of the 
mountain had long since died out, and for many centuries the 
black, rugged summit had been covered with snow, while count- 
less streams, caused by the melting of the glaciers, fell down its 
rocky sides, and, flowing through the cool, green pine forests, 
spread themselves over the thirsty plain, so that it bloomed 
like a beautiful garden. 

Duldy lived in these scented pine forests, and was supposed 

to be the son of an old 
couple called Dull and 
Day, from whence by 
joining both names he 
got his own Duldy ; but 
he was really a lost 
child whom old Father 
Dull had found, seven- 
teen years before, on 
the banks of the Foam, 
one of the bright spark- 
ling streams which 
flowed from the snowy 
heights above. Dull 
took the child home to his wife Day, who was overcome with 
joy, for she ardently desired to have a little boy of her own, 
but never had the happiness to become a mother. This good 
couple took great care of Duldy, and he grew up to be a hand- 
some youth, with golden hair, like the tint of ripe corn, and blue 
eyes, the colour of the sky. Any one who saw Duldy would 



THE WATER-WITCH, \ 


65 


have said he was a prince, so noble and handsome did he look, 
but, alas ! he was only a poor shepherd lad, for, in spite of all 
inquiries, Dull and Day never found out who were his parents. 

Now, at eighteen years of age, Duldy was the bravest youth 
in the forest, for, while protecting his flock of sheep, as they 
browsed on the thin grass of the high lands, he had killed many 
wolves who would have carried off the lambs. All the forest 
maidens were in love with Duldy, for he looked noble and grand 
in his simple suit of green cloth; and, moreover, it was well known 
that Dull and Day would certainly leave their flock of sheep to 
their adopted son, so Duldy would one day be a rich man — that 
is, rich in the eyes of the simple country people around. But 
the handsome shepherd never troubled his head about the 
maidens who sighed so ardently at his feet, for the fact is, he 
had one day seen the beautiful Princess Elsa when she was 
hunting in the forest, and had fallen deeply in love with 
her. 

She was really charming, the Princess Elsa, tall and stately, 
with dark hair and dark eyes ; it was no wonder that Duldy 
loved her, but how hopeless was that love! She was the 
daughter of King Arago, who ruled over the kingdom of Metella, 
and he was a poor unknown shepherd lad. Still all these things 
happened in the days of the fairies, and when fairies take a fancy 
to any mortal, that mortal can gain anything, however lowly he 
may be, from the hand of a princess to the throne of a kingdom. 

But did a fairy love Duldy ? Ah, that is a difficult question 
to answer! He was not quite sure, and yet he was almost 
certain that he was loved by the Water-witch Foamina. 

She was the fairy of the stream called Foam, whose sparkling 

i 


66 


THE WATER- WITCH . 


waters fell from a great height in a white veil down to a deep pool 
surrounded by delicate green ferns. From this pool the stream 
gushed out between two great stones, and babbled down the side 
of the mountain, glided round great moss-covered rocks rippled 
under the gnarled roots of ancient trees, and swirled into sombre 
pools beneath the cool shadow of its grass-fringed banks. After 
leaving the forest, it flowed broad and placid between rich 
fields of yellow corn, through old-fashioned villages, under the 
slender bridges which leaped from bank to bank, and at last 
mingled with the mighty river encircling the island upon 
which stood the city of Aurea, the capital of King Arago, 
wherein dwelt the beautiful Princess Elsa. 

Dull and Day had both told Duldy how he had been found 

on the banks of 
the stream lying 
on a white bed of 
soft foam, and he 
was very fond of 
sitting by the 
brook, listening to 
its babbling talk, 
and thinking that 
it might tell him something about his unknown parents. One 
day, while he was thus sitting dreaming about the lovely princess, 
and wondering if he would ever see her again, he heard a light 
laugh, and thought he saw an arch face peering out at him 
from behind the falling foam of the waterfall. As he looked 
steadily, the face vanished, but he caught a glimpse of two 
white arms playing with the sparkling water, and again saw 



THE WATER- WITCH. 


67 


the smiling face. Then the stream seemed to stop babbling 
and fretting among its stones, and form itself into words, which 
grew louder and clearer as he listened. It was not the murmur 
of the waterfall, nor the sighing of the wind, nor the babbling of 
the stream, but a voice, much more beautiful than all three, which 
sounded from behind the veil of foam, and sang this song : 

“I am the daughter 
Of earth and water, 

Born of the sun and the snow so white. 

I fall in foam 

From my mountain home, 

Downward flash in a torrent bright 
My streamlet rushes 
And sparkling gushes, , 

Cold as ice from the virgin snow; 

And see these swirls, 

My foamy curls 

Ringlets white in the pool below. 

Now see me dancing, 

Chattering, glancing; 

Over and under the grey stones grim 
I slide, I creep, 

I bound, I leap, 

On and on thro’ the forest dim ; 

Then, broadly flowing, 

Where corn is growing, 

Yellow fields ’neath the azure sky, 

Thro’ cities old 
My waters cold 

By turret and tower go gliding by. 

I hear the laughing 
Of revellers quaffing 
Wine, red wine, in the splendid night; 

At morning grey 
I pass away, 

Golden now in the gold dawn’s light 


68 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


With ceaseless motion 
I flow to ocean, 

Encircle first the King’s chief town. 

From dark to light, 

From dawn till night, 

Ocean calls, and I hurry down.” 

A burst of gay laughter ended the song, a great veil of white 
spray was flung over Duldy as he sat on the bank, and the 
stream resumed its inarticulate babbling. Duldy went home 
dreaming of the lovely face he had seen, but, feeling something 
cold clasping his wrist, he looked down and saw for a moment 
that it was encircled by a wreath of foam. The white bubbles 
vanished, but he still felt the cold clasp, and knew, though he 
could not see it, that the water bracelet was still on his wrist. 
As he stood perplexed at this wonder, the murmur of the water- 
fall sounding like soft thunder through the green woods shaped 
itself once more into words : 

“’Tis I whom thou hearest 
I stole thee, my dearest 

I loved thee and kissed when thou wast a child. 

I love thee for ever, 

No Fate can us sever: 

The foam-ring will bind thee to me undefiled.” 

And that is how Duldy knew he was loved by the Water-witch. 

He came again to the side of the stream and heard Foamina 
sing the same song, and when he was going home, he once more 
heard her voice murmuring through the woods. This time he 
felt rather angry, because he did not want to be bound to the 
water-faery, as he was in love with the Princess Elsa. How- 
ever, being a very polite youth, he said nothing, but went home 
laughing. 


THE WA TER- WITCH. 69 

Next time he heard her singing, he could not help telling 
her the truth, and cried out, — 

“ I do not love you, but the Princess Elsa.” 

Instantly the still waters of the pool foamed furiously and 
arose up like a great fountain, in the centre of which he saw 
the water-faery looking angrily at him. Terrified at the sight, 
he hastened away, and did not go to the stream again, but on his 
wrist he still felt the clasp of the foam-ring, which nothing, not 
even hot water, could wash away. 

Shortly afterwards, a rumour crept through the kingdom that 
the Princess Elsa had fallen into a deep sleep, out of which no 
one could rouse her, and the King made a proclamation that 
whosoever should succeed in waking her would receive her 
hand in marriage, and be king after him. 

When Duldy heard this, he was anxious to go to the city and 
try to wake the beautiful Princess, but Dull and Day tried to 
make him give up the idea. 

“ You don’t know how to wake her,” said Dull ; “ it must be 
a magic sleep into which the Princess has fallen.” 

“ And no one can wake a princess out of a magic sleep 
except a faery,” observed Day sagaciously. 

“At any rate I’ll try,” replied Duldy resolutely, “I have 
heard that a princess who slept for a hundred years was 
awakened by a kiss — perhaps if I kiss the Princess Elsa, she 
also will awake.” 

“ I don’t think so,” said Dull, shaking his head. 

“And the King would never let a poor shepherd kiss the 
Princess, I’m certain,” said Day wisely. 

“Perhaps I’m not a poor shepherd,” cried Duldy cheerfully. 


70 


THE WATER-WITCH 


“ I may be the son of a king for all you know ; but I’ll go to the 
city and try to waken the Princess with a kiss : the King would 
not mind a kiss if I wakened her.” 

Dull and Day shook their heads, for they were simple people, 
who did not know anything about courts, and were afraid Duldy, 
whom they loved fondly, would get into trouble. 

However, Duldy was determined to try, for one does not 
get a chance of becoming a king every day, so, packing up a 
few things in a bundle, and, taking his trusty oaken staff, he set 
out in the cool of the evening to walk through the forest on his 
way to the city of A urea. 

It was a beautiful summer’s night, with a gentle wind blow- 
ing, and the silver moon shining down on the snowy peak of the 
mountain, cast strange shadows in the old forest. Duldy did not 
mind the dark, — for it was rather dark, — but marched bravely 
on, singing aloud to keep up his spirits. Very soon he found 
himself walking beside a brawling stream that sometimes ran 
directly across his path, and as it was deep and turbulent, he 
was unable to cross it, but had to walk along the bank to see if 
he could find a shallow place. He never came to any, how- 
ever, for the stream still appeared deep and dangerous, and 
wound in and out and round about in the most serpent-like 
manner, babbling all the time to itself in a laughing way, as if 
it was delighted at keeping Duldy from pursuing his journey. 

Duldy grew very angry, and tried to leap across, but when 
he was preparing for a spring, the stream broadened out into a 
wide river, and seeing that, however far he jumped, he would never 
land on the opposite bank, he wisely abandoned the attempt. 

Then it suddenly struck him that the stream must be 



HE SAW THE FORM OF THE WATER-FAERY GLIMMERING GHOSTLY UNDER THE THIN 

WHITE VEIL 










































































































































. 






































































































































































































































THE WA TER- WITCH. 


li 

Foamina, who did not want him to leave the forest, so ht 
determined to find out if it was really her, for he could not believe 
that it was only a common stream. In order to invoke her to 
appear, he stood still, and, lifting up his voice, sang these 
words : 

“’Tis I whom thou hearest ; 

If thou art my dearest, 

And loved me and kissed me when I was a child, 

I’ll leave thee for ever, 

Return to thee never, 

If thou wilt appear not, in woman shape mild.” 

No sooner had he sung these words than a great jet of 
foam spouted up from the stream, scattering him all over with 
cool spray, and in the centre he saw the form of the water- 
faery glimmering ghostly under the thin white veil. She tossed 
her arms aloft, sending a shower of water-drops to sparkle in 
the moon, shining like jewels, and sang in answer ; 

u River king’s daughter, 

Here thou hast brought her, 

From the cool watef ; 

She smiles on thee, dear. 

Throw but a kiss to me, 

It will be bliss to me, 

If you do this to me, 

A maid I’ll appear.” 

On hearing this, Duldy kissed his hand towards the tall 
white column of foam, whereupon it vanished, and in its place 
stood a slender, beautiful woman in an azure robe girdled 
with white water-lilies, the same flowers also being entwined 
in her golden hair, which fell in great waves down to the 
ground. 


72 


THE WATER WITCH. 


On seeing this beautiful faery with the profusion of golden 
tresses, Duldy could only stare, whereupon 
she came forward with a smile and took his 
hand. Her touch was bitterly cold, and he 
shivered in the chilly atmosphere which she 
seemed to spread around her. 

“Are you Foamina?” asked Duldy 
cautiously. 

“Yes, I am the Spirit of the River,” 
she replied, nodding her golden head. “Why do you wish to 
see me ? ” 

“ Because I want to leave the forest,” said Duldy quickly, 

“ I know you do,” cried Foamina, with a laugh which sounded 
like the ripple of water ; “ but you’ll never do so ; I’ll foam round 
you like a brook, and you’ll never be able to jump across.” 

“ But why will you do so ?” asked the shepherd. 

“ Because I love you — I love you ! ” she murmured, bending 
towards him ; “ and I won’t let you go to the Princess. n 

“ But I want to waken the Princess with a kiss.” 

“I know you do,” said Foamina again; “but you’ll never 
kiss her — even if you did it would be no good. I plunged her 
into that magic sleep by my enchantments, and she’ll never 
awaken until you promise to marry me.” 

“Oh, I’ll never do that!” exclaimed Duldy. 

“Very well; then she’ll sleep on for ever,” said the Water- 
witch, laughing cruelly, while the air round her grew bitterly 
cold, and the yellow locks of her hair and the blue folds of her 
robe seemed to undulate over her lovely form like waves 
of water. 



THE WATER-WITCH 


73 


“ Then, as you won’t let me leave the forest, I suppose I 
must stay here,” said Duldy in despair. 

“Yes, unless you promise to marry me,” replied Foamina 
tenderly. 

“In that case I’ll remain here for ever,” cried Duldy angrily ; 
“and as it’s so cold, I’ll light a fire.” 

“ No, don’t do that,” said the Water- witch, shivering ; “ I 
don’t like fire, — a cruel, hot thing which burns me up.” 

“ I don’t care,” retorted Duldy, beginning to collect sticks 
for his fire ; “I’m not going to perish with cold for your sake, 
especially when I don’t love you.” 

“ I’ll put your fire out,” cried Foamina in a rage. 

“ Oh no, you won’t,” replied Duldy coolly ; “ I won’t let you. 
Besides, I can talk to you much more comfortably when I’m 
warm.” 

Foamina stood sulkily on one side as Duldy lighted his fire ; 
for, in spite of her threat, she was so afraid of the flames that 
she dared not approach them. Very soon the shepherd had a 
large fire blazing away merrily, and the red glare lighted up the 
sombre branches of the trees and the beautiful face of Foamina, 
who retired to some little distance when the fire began to burn, 
singing a strange, sweet song : — 


“ Fire red, 

Thee I dread; 
Water blue, 

I love you ; 
Fire — water 
Maketh hotter; 
Water — fire 
Makes expire.” 
K 


74 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


Now, while she was singing, and Duldy was warming him- 
self at the bright flames, a small brown 
lizard came creeping out of a bunch of 
ferns and ran across the open space between 
Foamina and the shepherd. 

As soon as the witch saw it, she flung 
herself on to it with a wild cry, and dissolved 
into a wide pool of seething foam, apparently 
trying to drown the lizard. But Duldy, who 
was kind to all animals, put his hand into 
the foam and picked up the lizard, which was 
nearly dead amid the angry water. He put it on the ground 
near the fire, but the white foam rolled forward right to the 
edge of the flames, so the poor lizard had no choice but to be 
drowned or burned, and Duldy put out his hand once more to 
save it from the cruel witch. To his dismay, however, the 
lizard, finding itself hard pressed by the foaming waves of the 
pool, ran into the fire and hid itself among the burning embers ; 
upon which the water retreated with an angry cry, and spouted 
up into a snow-white column, out of which stepped Foamina in 
a fearful rage. 

“ Why did you not let me kill him ? ” she cried, throw- 
ing some cold spray over Duldy, “ I wanted to drown 
him.” 

“The poor lizard was not hurting you,” replied Duldy, 
laughing. 

“It was not a lizard ! ” shrieked Foamina, stamping her foot. 
“It was my great enemy Salamander, and you saved him, 
stupid.” 



THE WATER-WITCH. 


75 


“ I don’t think so,” said Duldy, pointing to the fire. “ Sala- 
mander ran in there, so he must be burned to a cinder by this 
time.” 

“ No, he isn’t ! ” cried the Water-witch, coming nearer ; “ that 
is where he lives ! but I’ll put the fire out — I’ll put the fire out 
and drown him ! ” 

She dissolved once more into a wave of foam, and, rolling 
forward, flung a great sheet of water over the fire. Duldy 
expected to see the fire go black out, but instead of that it shot 
up into a tall column of red flame, and he hastily arose, afraid of 
being burned by the fierce heat. The wave of foam recoiled 
with an angry hiss, and, changing into a turbulent brook, flowed 
away through the forest with fretful murmurings, leaving not a 
trace behind on the smooth green lawn. 

“ I’m glad she’s gone,” said Duldy, with a sigh of relief. 
“ Now, perhaps, I’ll be able to go on to the Princess.” 

“You shall,” said a clear voice behind him; “and I shall 
help you.” 

Duldy turned, and saw the tall column of flame still glowing 
fiercely red. Afterwards it changed to a beautiful rose colour, and 
out of it there stepped a handsome youth of his own height and 
age, dressed in a short red tunic, with golden sandals, and a flash- 
ing band of jewels bound round his head. His face was as bright 
as the sun, and under his skin Duldy could see a rosy flushing, 
as though fire was burning inside him, while under his feet 
were the dull red embers and flickering flames. 

“I am Salamander,” said the youth, with a smile. “You 
saved me as a lizard from my greatest enemy, the Fairy of 
Water, and now I am going to reward you.” 


76 


THE WATER-WITCH 


“ By waking the Princess ?” asked Duldy eagerly. 

“No; you must do that,” said Salamander, laughing, “but 
it will take something more than a kiss to wake her. Listen. 
Foamina is in love with you, and when you said you loved the 
Princess Elsa, she revenged herself by plunging her into a magic 
sleep. She did this by sending to King Arago a golden foun- 
tain, and when it was set up in the palace, the water which 
spouted out of it sent the Princess Elsa to sleep by spreading 
the odour of poppies through the rooms. This odour affects no 
one but the Princess, so, in order to release her from the spell, 
you must make a fire of pine cones and sprinkle on the flames 
some of this powder, then you will see what happens.” 

“ Oh, thank you ! ” cried Duldy, taking a small gold box 
from Salamander. “ And will I be King ? ” 

“If you wake the Princess, you certainly will be King after 
Arago dies,” said Salamander; “but you have a stronger claim 
to the throne than by marrying the Princess. Do what I tell 
you, and you’ll find out the secret of your birth.” 

“ I’ll go at once,” said Duly joyfully, picking up his bundle 
and stick. 

“ One word,” observed Salamander, as Duldy turned to go. 
“ On your way to Aurea, do not let any water of stream, river, 
pool, or brook touch you, or Foamina will get you into her 
power again.” 

“ I’m afraid I am in her power now,” said Duldy mourn- 
fully. “ I’ve got the foam-ring on my wrist ; cannot you take 
it off ? ” 

“ I cannot,” said Salmander, shaking his head ; “ but the 
Princess will be able to do that. Foamina will be very angry 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


77 


when you marry the King’s daughter, and will try to do you 
mischief. If she does, call on me, and I’ll help you.” 

He stepped into the rosy - coloured column again, which 
immediately changed to a fiery red, and sank lower and lower 
until it vanished in the ground, when Duldy saw to his surprise 
that his fire had also vanished, the grass being as smooth and 
green as if no fire had been lighted at all. 

Delighted at having things made so smooth for him, Duldy 
went on through the forest on his way to Aurea, but, remember- 
ing Salamander’s command, he was careful to let no water touch 
him. Many streams lay across his path, but he either jumped 
over them or clambered over by the trunks of trees, and 
when he got down to the plain he crossed all the rivers by 
the bridges. Looking back, he saw the great white peak of the 
mountain flashing like a jewel in the blue sky, and the green 
forests encircling its base like emerald waves, but he espied 
nothing of Foamina, so trudged merrily along on his way to 
release the Princess Elsa from her enchantment. 


ii. 


THE FOUNTAIN OF JEWELS. 

After travelling for some days, Duldy at last arrived, footsore 
and weary, at the gate of Aurea. It was the entrance to a long 
stone bridge which crossed the river, encircling the city, and at 
the farther end was another gate which opened into the principal 
street. Duldy entered under the wonderfully carved archway, 
and looked open-mouthed at the smart soldiers on guard, whose 


78 


THE WATER-WITCH, 


red uniforms were all bedizened with gold lace, and who wore 
helmets of the same metal. To be sure, the good people of 
Aurea did not think much of gold, as they had such quantities 
of it, but Duldy, having been brought up very simply in his 
forest home, was quite amazed at the glare and glitter around him. 

All the houses were built of white marble, with latticed 
windows of yellow gold, and in the centre of the principal 
square, which was at the end of the great street, a tall slender 
column of marble wreathed round with bands of gold soared 
aloft in the clear air. The floor of the square was also of white 
marble, with four fountains, one at each corner, which threw up 
jets of sparkling water in shining profusion. Indeed, there 
seemed to be a great deal of water about this marvellous city ; it 
ran down the sides of every street, it rushed out of the mouths 
of lions’ heads of white marble fastened to the walls, and in the 
centre of some of the squares were great still pools, encircled by 
marble rims, flashing like mirrors in the sunlight. Flowers ! 
flowers everywhere ! — wreathed round the houses, growing by 
the fountains, and all the people who passed by Duldy wore 
chaplets on their heads. White pigeons were flashing through 
the still air, and the whole city was perfumed with the scent of 
myriad blossoms. Oh, really it was a wonderful city, and 
Duldy, looking shabby and dusty in his simple dress, seemed 
rather out of place among all this magnificence. His face and 
form, however, were so noble that an old white-haired man who 
was passing turned back to speak to him. 

“ Fair youth,” he said in a thin, piping voice, “ why do you 
look so tired and dusty? have you not yet tasted of the 
hospitality of our city ? ” 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


79 


“ No,” replied Duldy quietly; “I have been too much 
astonished at the beauties of this place to ask yet for hospitality. 
I have come to cure the Princess.’* 

The old man shook his head sadly. 

“ Ah, many have come to cure the Princess, but none have 
yet succeeded ; for not doing so they lost their heads ; so do not 
try, my son, or maybe you will fail, and your comely golden 
head will be cut off.” 

“ Oh, I’m not afraid,” said Duldy, laughing. " I know all 
about this magic sleep, and will certainly succeed in awakening 
her, although the others have failed. But tell me, why does 
the King promise his throne to the person who cures Princess 
Elsa ; has he no son ? ” 

“ None,” answered the old man, whose name was Onaro. 
“ The Princess Elsa is his only child. You are a stranger here, 
I take it, so perhaps do not know how the King Arago came 
to the throne,” 

“ No, I do not.” 

'‘Then I will tell you,” said Onaro; “it will show you how 
merit sometimes succeeds. The last King had the misfortune 
to be loved by the Water- witch Foamina, who dwells on the 
summit of the great mountain of Kel. He refused her love, 
and in revenge she drowned his queen and only son when 
sailing in a boat. The King was so overcome with grief 
at the loss of his wife and child that he died, and as there 
was no one of the blood royal to succeed him, the citizens 
elected the prime minister, Arago, to be king, and their choice 
was very wise ; but as he is not of royal blood, none of the 
neighbouring princes will marry his daughter, so King Arago 


8o 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


has promised her hand and his throne to the lucky youth who 
awakens her from this long sleep.” 

“ But are you sure the young prince was drowned ? * asked 
Duldy, who remembered how he had been found on the banks 
of the river Foam. 

“ Some say he was, others that he was not,” said Onaro, 
shaking his head. “ I do not know ; but it is fabled that the 
enchantress Foamina carried him off with her to her mountain 
home, but I know not if this be true.” 

“How long ago was the Prince lost ?” asked the shepherd 
breathlessly. 

“Just seventeen years ago,” replied Onaro; “and he was a 
year old then, so if he had lived he would now be eighteen 
years of age.” 

“My age,” thought Duldy, with great exultation. “ Perhaps, 
after all, I am the Prince stolen by Foamina;” but he was too 
wise to say this aloud, lest the King should hear of it, and hang 
him for high treason. 

“ As you look tired, you had better come to my house,” said 
Onaro in a kind voice. 

“ No, thank you,” replied Duldy, “ I’m in too great a hurry ; 
but please tell me how to reach the palace of the King.” 

“ Go straight on, and you will find it at the end of the 
street,” said Onaro ; “ but if you are wise you will not go.” 

He spoke these last words to the empty air, for Duldy, as 
soon as he heard where the palace was to be found, darted up 
the street like a swallow, so Onaro turned away sighing, 
thinking that Duldy would soon lose his head, like the rest who 
had come to cure the Princess. 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


81 


But Duldy had no idea of losing his head, for it was a very 
wise head, and useful to him, seeing he could never get another ; 
besides, feeling sure that Salamander would not deceive him, 
he determined to follow out his instructions about the fire of 
pine cones and the magic powder. 

He soon reached the palace, which was built of dazzling 
white marble on an elevation at the end of a square, and was 
approached by a splendid staircase with statues of beautiful 
women on either side. Duldy looked at the glittering building, 
with its great towers and pinnacles of gold, its innumerable 
slender pillars, its golden lattices, and the great dome swelling 
against the blue sky like an enormous white soap bubble. All 
this matchless building blazed in the hot sunshine with such 
splendour that his foot faltered as he placed it on the lowest 
step, and thought what a poor unknown lad he was to dare such 
a quest. But the remembrance of the Princess, and the half 
belief he had in his own royal birth, gave him courage, and he 
raced lightly up the steps, never halting until he stood at the top, 
looking down on the wonderful city of white marble and gold 
spread out before him. 

Then he turned and went into a large hall, through the mighty 
doors, which were of sandalwood, all curiously diapered with gold. 

“What do you want?” asked a soldier who was on guard 
t the door. 

“ To see the King and cure the Princess,” said Duldy boldly. 

The soldier burst out laughing, and, calling to his comrade, 
whispered in his ear, whereupon they both looked pityingly at 
Duldy. 

M You’ll never succeed,” they said. 

L 


82 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


“ I’ll try, anyhow,” replied Duldy, taking of! his cap to a 
gorgeously-dressed officer who approached. The soldiers 
told the officer what Duldy wanted, the officer told the groom 
of the chambers, the groom of the chambers told the prime 
minister, and the prime minister told the King; whereupon 
Duldy was ordered before the monarch, who sat upon his throne 
in the great Hall of Audience. 

A splendid hall it was, all of white marble, with a roof of 
fretted gold, and rich curtains of pale blue velvet hanging 
between the slender pillars. The throne of solid gold flashed 
like a jewel, and Duldy’s feet sank in the soft velvet carpets as 
he stood before the King, a royal-looking man with a crown of 
silver, for in Aurea silver was thought to be much more precious 
than gold. But Duldy did not look upon the King, as his atten- 
tion was fixed upon a great golden fountain in the centre of the 
hall, out of which spouted the most beautiful coloured water, 
which first ascended and fell into the topmost basin like 
liquid silver, then fell from the first to the second basin a sheet 
of gold, from the second to the third a beautiful crimson tint, from 
the third to the fourth a bright blue, and from the fourth to the 
lowest and last a pale green colour. All these different coloured 
waters glittered like gems in the sunlight which came through 
the wide windows of the hall, so that the fountain was called 
the Fountain of Jewels, and Duldy guessed it to be the one 
which Foamina had sent to the King. 

Meanwhile Arago was rather angry at Duldy staring at the 
fountain instead of himself, for no king likes to be neglected, so 
he caHed out to him in a loud voice, — 

“Well, my lad, what do you want?” 


THE WATER-WITCH. 83 

“To cure the Princess, sire,” said Duldy, quickly turning to 
the throne. 

“ You know the penalty if you fail ? ” said Arago, looking at 
him steadily. 

“Yes, I lose my head.” 

“ Are you not afraid ?” 

“No, not a bit; but if I succeed, of course I marry the 
Princess Elsa, and succeed your Majesty on the throne of 
Metella,” said Duldy frankly. 

“ We have passed our royal word that such will be the case,” 
replied the King, smiling. “ Now, begin at once and awaken 
the Princess.” 

“ First of all, I must have the Princess brought into this 
hall,” declared the shepherd. 

“Impossible!” said Arago, frowning; “my daughter is 
asleep on a couch in her bedroom.” 

“ Then she must be brought here, couch and all,” said 
Duldy boldly, determined to have his own way ; “ I can only 
break the spell here.” 

“ How so ?” asked the King. 

“ Because the Princess Elsa’s sleep is caused by that 
fountain,” said Duldy. 

“ What ! the Fountain of Jewels ! ” cried the King. “ That’s 
nonsense; it was sent to me by the Queen of Faeryland, and 
she would not send me anything hurtful.” 

“ I daresay she would not,” said Duldy, with emphasis ; 
“but she did not send that fountain. It came from Foamina.” 

“From Foamina!” cried every one, with a start of terror, 
for the water-faery was much dreaded in Aurea. 


8 4 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


“This is very serious,” said the King gravely. “Young 
man, you must prove the truth of what you say, and if such is 
the case, I shall have the fountain removed.” 

“ Then bring in the Princess,” said Duldy, and, kneeling 
down, he opened his bundle, which was full of pine cones he had 
picked up in the forest. “ I must have your Majesty’s per- 
mission to light a fire with these on the marble floor.” 

“ Very well,” said Arago, nodding his head ; “ only take care 
you don’t spoil the pavement.” 

Duldy laughed, and while some of the courtiers went out 
to bring in the Princess, he removed a portion of the carpet, 
then piling up the pine cones in a little heap, he set them on 
fire. While he was doing this, the waters of the fountain kept 
changing to all sorts of colours, and at last every tint faded 
into a bright yellow, which looked like liquid gold, and breathed 
a strong perfume, nearly sending Duldy to sleep. How- 
ever, he pinched himself to keep awake, and attended to 
his fire, which was now glowing red-hot, while the King and 
the courtiers all looked on with great curiosity, being much 
astonished at the change of the Fountain of Jewels. 

The Princess was brought in, sleeping on her couch of 
purple, with a cloth of gold coverlet thrown over her, and she 
looked truly beautiful, with her black hair falling in disorder 
over the couch, and her rose-tinted cheek supported by one 
hand, while the other was pressed on her faintly beating heart 
Duldy fell more in love with her than ever, but, suppressing all 
outward signs of his passion, he ordered her couch to be placed 
midway between the fire and the throne. 

The pine cones were now a small heap of red-hot embers, 


THE WA TER- WITCH 


85 


so Duldy took out the golden box given to him by Salamander, 
and began to sing, while he sprinkled some of the powder from 
the box upon the fire, — 

M 0 my lovely Princess sleeping, 

By the spells of evil chained, 

At thy side Pm vigil keeping, 

Longing, hoping, smiling, weeping, 

While the day hath slowly waned. 

In thy sleep are visions gleaming, 

Faery visions from above, 

Yet tho’ lovely be thy dreaming, 

All these visions are but seeming, 

Wake once more to life and love. 

Lovely Princess, I have found thee 
Sleeping like a night-closed flower, 

Of my heart I queen have crowned thee, 

So tho’ evil spells have bound thee, 

Laugh to scorn all magic power.” 

Duldy now emptied all the powder on the fire, and a thick 
violet mist arose, which, trailing along the floor like a sinuous 
serpent, writhed across to the fountain and commenced to coil 
around it. Coil after coil it curled around, till it reached the 
topmost basin, so that the whole fountain could not be seen, 
but only the slender jet of water which shot out of the violet 
mist like the yellow horn of a trumpet lily. Duldy, waving 
his arms towards the fountain, began to sing again, — 

“ I have found her — long Pve sought her, 

To my heart this maid I take. 

Cease thy spells, O river-daughter, 

Vanish, fountain — vanish, water, 

Let my Princess fair awake.” 


86 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


At this the yellow jet shot up as high as the fretted ceiling 
of the hall, and then sank down till it vanished in the violet 
mist, which began to whirl round and round, growing smaller 
and smaller, sinking at every whirl till it vanished altogether, 
and with it the fountain, leaving nothing but the bare white 
gleaming marble floor. But the Princess still slept on, although 
Duldy could see a faint flutter of her eyelids, which show r ed she 
was awaking, so, bending forward, he kissed her red lips three 
times, and sang once more, — 

“Now the end of all things this is, 

Thou art free from magic snare. 

Life for thee hath many blisses, 

Words of love and endless kisses. 

Ope thine eyes, O maiden fair.” 

At this the beautiful Princess opened her eyes, and looked 
long and steadily at Duldy, then, rising to her feet, she smiled, 
and flung her white arms round his neck. 

“ It is the face of my dreams,” she sighed. “Oh, my love, 
I have waited for thee long years ! ” 

So the spell was broken, for the Princess had awakened, to 
the delight of King Arago, who descended from his throne and 
joined her hand to that of Duldy. 

“ I will keep my word,” he said gaily. “ You have released 
not only the Princess, but all of us, from the power of Foamina, 
so you will be married at once, and to-night I’ll give a great 
ball in honour of you both.” 

Oh, how everybody cheered, and the courtiers ran hither 
and thither, telling the good news to one another. The city was 
in a great state of excitement, and all the poor people were 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


87 


given plenty of food to eat. Duldy led his Princess to her 
room, and then retired in order to dress himself in his 
wedding clothes, while the people cheered in the city, the joy 
bells rang out, and even Foamina in her mountain solitude 
heard the cry, “ Long live Prince Duldy!” 


hi. 

THE SECRET OF DULDy’s BIRTH. 

You may be sure Foamina was very angry when she heard the 
rejoicings in the city of Aurea, for by her magic power she 
knew that in spite of all her enchantments Duldy was going to 
marry the Princess. She was sitting on a couch of snow high 
up on the mountain of Kel, and the moon was shining down 
on her as she looked far across the plain to the illuminated 
city, where Duldy was being married to Elsa. As she thought 
of this, Foamina arose quickly, stamping her foot with rage, 
so that a great mass of snow came thundering down the side 
of the mountain and crashed through the green trees. 

“I won’t let him be happy!” cried Foamina in a rage, 
“ he still has the foam bracelet on his wrist, so I’ll part 
him from his Princess yet, in spite of Salamander and his 
threats.” 

So she flung herself off the snow bed and poured down the 
valley in a torrent of angry foam. First she went to the faery 
of one stream, and then to the faery of another — making them 
promise that they would roar like torrents down the mountain, 
through the plain, and make the great river round the rock 


88 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


upon which Aurea was built rise higher and higher till it flooded 
the whole city. They all promised gladly, for they were very 
much afraid of offending Foamina, who was a very malignant 
faery, and could do them all harm. 

Then the Water-witch flowed away through the plain to 
the great river, and, rising up in the principal fountain of the 
city, she spoke to all the streams and fountains of the city, in 
order to make them pour out as much water as they could to 
drown the city, and this they promised to do, so Foamina was 
now quite satisfied she would be revenged upon Duldy and 
Salamander for destroying the Fountain of Jewels and awaking 
the Princess Elsa. 

At the palace all was festivity and rejoicing, and the King 
was giving a great ball in honour of the marriage ; for Duldy 
and the Princess were now married, and sat on two golden 
thrones, looking wonderfully handsome and happy. Below 
them on the marble floor all the lords and ladies were dancing 
the most graceful dances in the world, and the musicians placed 
up in a high gallery sang and played the most delightful music, 
while tables covered with nice tarts and cakes and other 
beautiful things ran down on each side of the hall. 

But notwithstanding that Duldy had married the Princess, 
and was going to be king when Arago died, he felt quite 
unhappy, as the foam bracelet still clasped his wrist. 

‘‘What is the matter, Prince ?” asked Elsa, putting her 
beautiful white arms round his neck ; “ you look so sad.” 

“I’m afraid of Foamina,” said Duldy, showing Elsa his 
wrist. “Look at the foam bracelet chaining my wrist; I cannot 
get it off. Look, you can see it quite plainly.” 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


89 


And indeed they could, a slender ring of white foam which 
clasped his wrist so tightly that Duldy felt as though it were the 
hand of the enchantress grasping him, to drag him away from 
his lovely bride to the depths of her cold pool. 

“ Is it cold ? ” asked Elsa. 

‘‘Yes, very cold,” replied Duldy disconsolately. “I wish I 
could take it off.” 

“ I think I can do that,” said the Princess, laughing. “If 
it’s cold, it will soon melt away under my warm kisses ; ” and so 
saying, she bent down and kissed his wrist three times with her 
red lips. Much to Duldy’s surprise, at the first kiss the foam 
bracelet seemed to grow loose, at the second it fell off his wrist 
and lay on the floor like a white ring, and at the third it vanished 
with a loud noise. 

Duldy was overjoyed that he was now free from the power of 
the enchantress, and led the Princess out on to the balcony 
which overlooked the river. It was a beautiful night, and Duldy 
saw the great white peak of Kel shining against the dark blue 
sky, and the heaving waters of the river at his feet. Just as he 
kissed the lips of his Princess, a confused noise sounded from 
the city below. The river, lashing itself into angry waves, 
began to rise, and as Duldy and the Princess, full of dismay, 
retreated to the hall, a crowd of people rushed in and stopped 
the dancing. 

“ Sire ! sire ! ” they called out to the King, “ the river is rising 
round the city, and all the fountains are spouting foam! We 
are lost ! we are lost ! ” 

Everything was in confusion, people rushing here and there 
shrieking and crying, while the lights of the city died out, and 

M 


9 o 


THE WATER-WITCH . 


the cruel, dark waters kept on rising, until every one thought 
the whole city would sink beneath the flood. 

Duldy knew it was the work of Foamina, and his mind was 
quite satisfied on that point when a great white wave of foam 
rolled into the hall over the balcony. On this the Water-witch 

was riding, singing loudly, — 

* 

" Give me my lover, 

King’s daughter, king’s daughter, 

Or I will cover 
Your city with water.” 

The Princess shrieked and hid her face on Duldy’s shoulder, 
while Arago and all the people around looked at the witch in 
dismay. Suddenly Duldy recollected how Salamander had 
promised to help him, so he called out, — 

“ Salamander, 

O, withstand her ! 

She has brought her 
Cruel water. 

Drive from land her, 

Salamander ! ” 

The witch laughed loudly, and the wave rolled on, amid the 
lamentations sounding from the city below, when suddenly, in 
the place where the Fountain of Jewels had been, a tall flame 
shot up, and out of it flashed Salamander, glowing like a beauti- 
ful crimson star. 

“ Foamina, beware ! ” he cried, shaking a torch which he held 
in his hand ; “ or I will burn up your springs, scorch your forests, 
and crush you for ever.” 

“ No, you won’t,” said Foamina, flinging her white arms aloft. 
“ This shepherd is mine — mine ! and you can do nothing.” 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


9 * 


“ Can’t I ? ” cried Salamander, waving his torch. “ Behold ! ” 

There was a great roar, like the report of a thousand cannons, 
and every one looked through the open window with a cry of 
alarm. 

Far away, from the snowy peak of Kel shot a tall column of 
red flame, with a black cloud above it spreading over the mid- 
night sky, and vividly bright streams of burning lava began to 
run down the white snow like veins of fire. 

“Oh, my springs, my springs!” shrieked Foamina wildly ; 
“ they will all be burned up, and I’ll die — I can’t put that fire out.” 

“ No, you cannot,” said Salamander sternly ; “ nor will I till 
you give up all claim to Duldy.” 

“ I do ! I do ! ” shrieked the Water- witch, listening with terror 
to the roar of the fire mountain. 

“ And tell Duldy who he really is ?” said Salamander relent- 
lessly. 

“ Yes ! yes ! ” cried Foamina, who was now getting thinner and 
thinner as the hot lava scorched her springs in the distant 
mountain. “ Only stop that cruel, cruel fire ! ” 

“Who am I?” asked Duldy. “Quick! tell me, and 
Salamander will stop the fire.” 

“You are the son of the old King,” cried Foamina wildly. 
“ I drowned your mother and carried you off. I surrender all 
claim to you now, only stop the fire — stop the fire ! ” 

“ You will never do cruel things again ? ” said Salamander. 

“Never! — never!” said the Water-witch, who was now 
writhing on the floor. 

“ Then make the waters leave the city,” cried Duldy. 

The Water-witch flew to the window and muttered some 


92 


THE WATER-WITCH 


words, whereupon the river sank down to its usual level, all the 
fountains stopped pouring out jets of foam, and in a short time 
the city was as dry and clean as if no waters had been there 
at all. 

“Now go!” cried Salamander, and stretched out his torch 
towards the mountain. Immediately the column of fire sank 
back again, the smoke vanished and nothing could be seen but 
the snow-white peak, the dark blue sky, and the serene moon. 
As soon as Foamina saw this, she gave a cry of joy, and, flinging 
herself in a foaming torrent from the window, vanished in the 
river, and was never seen again. 

Then Salamander turned to Duldy and Arago, who stood 
near, delighted with the defeat of the Water-witch. 

“You heard what Foamina said,” he observed to Duldy; 
“ you are the son of the old king, and ought to reign now.” 

“ And so he shall,” cried Arago, taking off his beautiful silver 
crown and placing it on Duldy’s head. “ I will give up the 
throne to Duldy and my daughter, and become prime minister 
once more. Hail, King Duldy !” 

“ No, he must not be called Duldy,” said Salamander, smiling, 
“but by his father’s name. So, Hail, King Sama!” 

Then all present, including Arago, kneeled down before 
Duldy, who ascended the throne with his silver crown, and his 
beautiful Queen Elsa by his side. 

“ Be happy,” cried Salamander ; “ you have a kind heart, 
and that always brings happiness.” 

Whereupon he vanished, and was never more seen again, nor 
did he allow the mountain of Kel to breathe fire any more. So 
King Sama and Queen Elsa ruled over the land of Metella, and 


THE WATER-WITCH. 


93 


were very, very happy, and were guided by the advice of Arago, 
who once more became prime minister, 

Duldy brought Dull and Day from the forest, and gave them 
a beautiful palace to live in, but they 
did not like the city life, and went 
back again to their cottage, where 
they died after many years. 

So Duldy became king after all, 
but while his people hailed him as 
King Sama, his beautiful wife called him nothing but Duldy, 
the shepherd lad who had released her from the enchantment 
of the Water-witch. 



MOON FANCIES 


E RE was once a girl called Lurina, 
who dwelt with her parents in a 
cottage on the edge of a great 
forest, which was said to be en- 
chanted. She was an only child, 
and her parents, whose names 
were Panus and Cora, were very 
fond of her, although she certainly 
gave them a great deal of trouble. Not that she was naughty 
in any way, for no one could have been better or more obedient ; 
but she was generally very dull and sleepy all the day, and only 
woke up at night-time, when she liked to wander outside in the 
moonlight, instead of going to bed. This habit led her parents 
to think she had faery blood in her veins, and, although Panus 
was a dull, stupid man, he nevertheless remembered how very 
peculiar his old grandmother had been in her actions. 

Another curious thing was that Lurina had been born just 
at full moon, which is the time when all the faeries hold their 
great monthly festival, and Cora remembered hearing them 
singing a birth-song about little Lurina, who lay by her side. 
So there was no doubt but that the faery blood which flowed 

95 



9 6 


MOON FANCIES. 



in the veins of the old grandmother had missed a generation, 
and once more came out in Lurina. Panus and Cora therefore- 
let her do just as she liked, which was the best thing they could 
do, as they had been told by a Wise Woman who lived near them. 

Lurina was a most beautiful girl, with golden hair, a delicate 
white skin, and dark, dark eyes, 
which had a somewhat mourn- 
ful look in their depths. 
When she arrived at the age 
of eighteen, a young wood- 
man called Berl 
fell in love with 
her, and, after 
some hesitation, 
Lurinapromised 
to become his 
wife, provided 
he let her do 
exactly as she 
pleased, and did 
not stop her 
night wander- 
ings. 

“ You can go 
into the forest 
whenever you like,” said Berl, kissing her; “but why do 
you not come when the sun is bright, instead of the feeble 
moonlight ?” 

“ I don’t like the sun,” said Lurina, pouting, “it makes 


MOON FANCIES. 


97 


everything so hot and disagreeable; but the moonlight is so 
soft and beautiful that I love it. Besides, you don’t know what 
strange fancies come to me when the moon is shining.” 

“ What kind of fancies ? ” asked Berl, who was a somewhat 
dull youth. 

“ Oh, all sorts of beautiful things,” replied Lurina dreamily; 
“lovely little men and women dressed in green, who dance 
lightly on the emerald turf, and strange, sweet songs which 
sound like rushing water and the whispering of leaves. I dream 
about them when I’m in the wood, but nowhere else.” 

Berl was now convinced that Lurina had faery blood in her 
veins, and attended the festivals of the faeries, which she called 
moon fancies ; but, being a very cautious man, he said nothing 
to Lurina ; nevertheless, before he got married he consulted 
the Wise Woman. 

She was really a very wonderful old woman, with snow-white 
hair and a form nearly bent double with age. 

She listened to Bed’s story about Lurina’s 
moon fancies, and then spoke in a harsh, 
determined voice. 

“ Your future wife has dealings with the 
faeries,” she said, looking at Berl from under 
her bushy white eyebrows ; “ but what she 
sees at night in the forest are real truths, and not fancies as 
she thinks. My advice to you is not to marry her, lest evil 
befall you.” 

But Berl was too much in love with the beautiful Lurina to 
take this advice, so he said nothing, but asked Panus and Cora 
to let him marry their daughter at once, which they were very 

N 



9 8 


MOON FANCIES . 


pleased to do, for he was quite a rich man among the woodmen 
and, moreover, very good-natured. 

The wedding-day arrived at last, and Lurina was married 
to Berl by the village pastor. Those who thought she had 
faery blood in her veins said she would never be able to enter 
the church ; but, much to their surprise, nothing unusual occurred 
at the ceremony, so they began to think Lurina was only a 
dull, stupid girl after all. This was a mistake, however, as you 
will soon hear. 

Berl and Lurina took up their abode in a pretty cottage 
under the shade of a great oak, and lived very happily for a 

long time. Lurina was still dreamy 
and quiet all the day, but as Berl 
was generally at work in the wood, 
he did not notice it much. At 
night - time, however, she still 
wandered into the forest, especi- 
ally when the moon was very 
bright, and this habit began to annoy Berl very much, but as 
he had given his word not to interfere with Lurina, he said 
nothing. 

One night, however, when the moon was full, and the whoie 
of the forest was bathed in the pale, cold light, he woke up, and, 
missing his wife from his side, knew that she had gone into 
the forest to indulge in her moon fancies. Berl sprang out of 
bed, and just caught a glimpse of her shadow disappearing 
among the trunks of the trees ; so he rapidly slipped on his 
clothes and hurried after her, being determined to find out why 
she was so fond of these midnight wanderings. 



MOON FANCIES. 


99 


“She’s going to a meeting of the faeries,” thought Berl, as 
he ran across the lawn. “ I hope the little people won’t be 
angry if they see me ; but my wife will protect me.” 

For you must know that the faeries never like their revels 
gazed upon by mortal eye, and if they catch any one looking 
they pinch him black and blue ; so Berl had good reason to be 
afraid of venturing into the enchanted wood at night. 

He followed his wife cautiously, always keeping her in 
sight, but taking care she should not see him, when suddenly 
she crossed an open glade and vanished. Berl ran after her, 
but could find no trace of Lurina at all, and was quite dis- 
consolate, when all at once he espied her sitting at the foot of 
a great beech tree, leaning against the trunk, with her beautiful 
face looking pale and white in the moonshine. Having watched 
her for a long time, he ventured to approach and call her by 
name, but, to his astonishment, she did not answer nor express 
surprise at seeing him, but simply stared across the glade with 
vague, unseeing eyes. 

Emboldened by her silence, Berl ran up and fell on his 
knees with a little laugh, thinking she would scold him for 
having dared to follow her. He was perplexed, however, to 
see that she still did not seem to notice him, and when at last 
he took one of her hands, it was as cold as ice. Starting up in 
alarm, he looked closely at her, and found that she did not 
breathe — placed his hand on her heart, and discovered that it 
did not beat. 

“Why, she’s dead!” he cried in alarm. “Lurina, it is I, 
your husband, Berl.” 

Still Lurina did not answer. So, convinced she was dead. 


IOO 


MOON FANCIES , : 


Berl threw her body over his shoulder and hurried home. 
When he got inside, he did everything he could to revive her, 
but it was no use ; the beautiful Lurina was dead, and Berl sat 
all night beside her body, weeping bitterly. 

At the first red flush of dawn, he went from house to house, 
telling Lurina’s parents and all the neighbours that his wife had 
died the preceding night in the forest. Every one came to 
Berl’s house to see if it was true, and offer advice, which one’s 
neighbours are very fond of doing. Among those who came 
was the Wise Woman, who surveyed the beautiful Lurina for 
some time in silence, then laughed loudly. 

“Why do you laugh?” asked Berl, angry with her for 
doing so. 

“ I laugh at your folly,” said the Wise Woman, looking 
oddly at him. “ Lurina is no more dead than I am.” 

“ But her heart is not beating, and she does not breathe,” 
said Panus quickly. 

“Nevertheless, she is not dead,” replied the Wise Woman 
quietly. “Have you ever seen her like this before?” she 
added, turning to Cora. 

“ No, never,” answered Cora, who was weeping bitterly. 

“ Ah ! that is because you never followed her to the forest 
as Berl did,” said the Wise Woman thoughtfully. “ I told you, 
Berl, that your wife had faery blood in her veins, and you should 
have taken my advice about the marriage.” 

“Well, it’s too late now to blame me,” said Berl roughly, 
for he did not like to be reproached. “ What am I to do ? ” 

“ I will tell you,” observed the Wise Woman. “ Come to 
my cottage at once.” 


MOON FANCIES. 


IOI 


So Berl left the body of his beautiful Lurina with her parents, 
and walked with the Wise Woman to her cottage, which was 
just on the verge of the wood, but protected from the entry of 
the faeries by a rusty horse-shoe fastened on the door. 

When Berl entered, the Wise Woman drew a circle on the 
ground with her magic staff, whereupon a ring of pale flickering 
fire appeared ; then she pulled seven hairs out 
of the tail of her black cat, and threw them into 
the midst of the circle, where they began to 
twist about in a most surprising manner. 

While they were doing this, the Wise Woman 
waved her staff seven times in the air, mut- 
tering strange words, and a white smoke 
arose from the centre of the fire circle where the hairs were 
jumping about. This white smoke went up like a white cloud, 
then suddenly vanished, 
and Berl saw a little 
man, all dressed in red, 
sitting in the centre of 
the circle. 

“ Well, what do you 
want?” he said gra- 
ciously to the Wise 
Woman, whose bright 
eyes sparkled when she saw him. 

“Why did Lurina die?” asked the Wise Woman. “Tell 
me, Pop.” 

“ She’s not dead at all,” answered Pop quickly ; “she is a 
faery, and went into the woods to attend the festival. As she 




102 


MOON FANCIES. 



could not join the revels of Oberon in her human body, which 
would be too big, she left it behind, leaning against the trunk of 
a beech tree, and her faery body went to dance with the faeries. 
Of course, when Berl took her body away, she could not find it 

again when she 
returned, and 
she never will 
find it till it’s 
brought back to 
the same place.” 

“What is to 
be done, then ? ” 
asked the Wise 
Woman. 

“ Berl must 
take Lurina’s 
body back again 
from where he 
brought it,” said 
Pop ; “ but be- 
fore Lurinas 
faery body can 
come back to it, 

Berl will have to get permission for it to do so from Oberon. 

Now let me go, I’ve told you all I know.” 

The Wise Woman waved her staff again, the white smoke 
came down on the little red man like an extinguisher, then 
everything vanished, and Berl found himself standing outside 
the door of the cottage, with the Wise Woman smiling at him. 


MOON FANCIES. 


103 


“You heard what Pop said,” she observed kindly; “you 
will have to go to the court of King Oberon, and ask him to let 
your wife come back.” 

“ But will he do so ?” asked Berl doubtfully. 

“Ah, that I do not know,” said the Wise Woman ; “but as 
the faeries may treat you badly for looking at their festival, take 
this sprig of the rowan tree, and it will protect you. Don’t forget 
to take Lurina’s body back to the beech tree.” 

Berl took the sprig of rowan with its red berries that she 
handed to him, and walked away to his own cottage. He did 
not tell any one what the Wise Woman had said, but managed to 
put off all their questions by pretending to be too grieved to 
speak. So one after another the neighbours departed, until only 
Panus and Cora were left, and they, too, after kissing the pale 
lips of Lurina, went away, leaving Berl alone. 

Berl waited impatiently for night to come, and as soon as the 
moon was glowing like glittering silver in the starry sky, he 
took Lurina up in his arms, and, carrying her into the forest, 
placed her in the same position as he had found her, leaning 
against the trunk of the beech tree. 

When he had done this, he looked round perplexed, for he 
did not know how to find the faery court, but, taking out the 
rowan twig, he looked at it earnestly, wondering if it would by 
some magic means show him the way. But the rowan twig made 
no sign, and Berl put up the hand in which he held it to take 
off his cap and fasten it in it, when the twig happened to strike 
his ear, and immediately the silent forest became full of sounds. 

He heard the most delightful music, then a burst 01 gay 
laughter, and, following the direction from whence they proceeded, 


104 


MOON FANCIES \ 


he came upon a wide open glade, with a smooth green sward 
upon which the moon was shining. Still, though he looked very- 
hard, he could not 6ee a faery ; then, suddenly remembering how 
the rowan twig had bewitched his ears, he took it out of his hat> 
and pressed the red berries against his eyes. To his delight, he 
now saw that all the sward was covered with thousands of little 
men and women all dressed in pale green, and at the end was a 
throne of great white lilies, upon which sat the King and Queen 
of Faeryland. All round the glade were a circle of glow-worms, 



light pouring down through the boughs of the trees made every- 
thing as bright as day. 

As soon as the faeries discovered that Berl could really see 
them at their revels, they shrieked with rage, and hundreds of the 
little green creatures swarmed up on his body to pinch him 
black and blue Berl was in a great fright at first, till he 
suddenly remembered what the Wise Woman had said about 
the rowan sprig, so immediately called out — 

8 Magic branch of rowan tree, 

Work the charm and set me free." 


MOON FANCIES. 


105 

At once there was a dead silence, and all the faeries fell to 
the ground like withered leaves in autumn. Some of them 
ran to the throne of lilies, and spoke to the King, upon which 
Oberon stepped down, and, followed by a long train, walked up 
to Berl and commanded him to sit down. Berl did so, and 
then Oberon struck the ground with his wand, whereupon a 
great red rose sprang up, in which he took his seat with 
Queen Titania, while the other faeries gathered round and 
prepared to listen. 

“Now, mortal,” said Oberon in a dignified manner, “how 
is it that with an earthly eye you have beheld the unseen revels 
of the faeries ? ” 

‘ It was by this rowan twig, your Majesty,” said Berl, showing 
Oberon the sprig ; “ the Wise Woman gave it to me as a protec- 
tion, in case the faeries should be angry.” 

“We are only angry with evil-disposed people,” said Oberon 
gently ; “ and if you come here with a pure heart, no one will 
harm you. What do you want with us ? ” 

“ I want my wife Lurina,” said Berl boldly. 

There was a cry of astonishment at this. Suddenly a 
faery flew forward on emerald wings, and, as she stood before 
Oberon, Berl saw that it was Lurina. 

“ Yes, your Majesty,” said the faery Lurina, “ I am his wife, 
but he lost me through his curiosity, as your Majesty knows. 
I was exiled from Faeryland many years ago, and condemned to 
dwell in a human body. I lived in Lurina’s body, but was 
allowed by the Queen to join in the faery revels at night. I told 
my husband not to follow me, but he did so, and found my 

human body lying as if dead under the beech tree, because 

o 


io6 


MOON FANCIES. 


I had left it to attend the festival. When I went back, I 
could not find it, so had to stay in the forest all day as a 
faery.” 

“ Is this true ?” asked Oberon, turning to Titania. 

“ Perfectly true,” answered Titania. “ It was I who punished 
Lurina by exiling her from Faeryland, but now I think she is 
punished enough, and, as she has lost her human body through 
no fault of her own, she is pardoned.” 

On hearing these words, the faery Lurina dropped on her 
knees and kissed the Queen’s hand, then flew off to be congratu- 
lated on her good luck by her faery friends. But Berl was not 
at all pleased to think he had lost his wife for ever, and spoke 
to the King. 

“ But what am I to do, your Majesty ?” he said, with tears 
in his eyes. “ I love Lurina very much, and don’t want to 
lose her.” 

“ There is only one thing to be done,” said Oberon. “ Have 
you brought back the human body of Lurina ? ” 

“ Yes, your Majesty; it’s under the beech tree,” replied Berl 
eagerly. 

“Then I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” said the King. “As the 
Queen has pardoned Lurina, of course she can’t go back, as no 
faery likes to live in your world ; but the faery Mala has been 
very naughty of late, so I will condemn her to inhabit your 
wife’s body, and stay in exile until she is good enough to come 
back to court.” 

“ But that won’t be Lurina,” said Berl. 

“ She will wear Lurina’s body,” replied Oberon, laughing ; 
u and no one but yourself will be the wiser. Leave the forest at 


MOON FANCIES. 


107 


once, and to-morrow morning you will see your wile come to the 
cottage door. Strike up, music ! ” 

Whereupon the faery music began to play loudly — the blue 
bells rang merry chimes, the grasshoppers creaked gaily, and 
the wind commenced to sigh among the forest leaves. 

Berl dare not disobey the King’s command, and, after seeing 
Oberon return to the throne of white lilies, and all the faeries 
commence their dance again, he arose to his feet. As he did 
so, he accidentally dropped the rowan twig, which was snatched 
up by a faery at once, and then the whole of the faery revel 
vanished. Berl could see nothing of the dancing, nor hear 
anything of the music, but only beheld the smooth green lawn, 
the myriad trees around, and the round orb of the moon. 

There was nothing left to do but to return home, which he 
did at once, and you may be sure he got very little sleep that 
night. At early dawn he was standing at his cottage door, 
looking towards the wood, when he beheld Lurina tripping gaily 
towards him, singing merrily. When she saw Berl, she flung 
herself into his arms. 

“ Dear Berl, here I am at last ! ” she cried, kissing him. 

“ But you are the faery Mala,” said Berl, looking at her in 
perplexity. 

“Who is the faery Mala?” asked Lurina, who had forgotten 
all about her faery existence now she was in a human body. “ I 
never heard of her. I went into the forest and fell asleep, I 
suppose. When I awoke I came straight back to you.” 

Berl was a wise man, and said no more, but kissed his newly- 
recovered wife heartily, then called all the neighbours to con- 
gratulate him, which they did loudly. 


io8 


MOON FANCIES. 


When they told Lurina she had been dead, she declared it 
was nonsense, as it was only a sleep, and soon every one believed 
it except Berl and the Wise Woman, to whom Berl told all 
about his reception by Oberon. 

Lurina became bright and gay all day, and never more 
wandered into the forest to indulge in moon fancies, so Berl 
thought the faery Mala must have been exiled altogether from 
Faeryland. 

She was very good indeed, so good that Berl was quite 
afraid lest she should be called back to Faeryland, but as yet that 
has not happened 


THE ROSE -PRINCESS 


i* 

THE QUEEN WHO DID NOT BELIEVE IN FAERIES. 


NCE upon a time there was a King and Queen 
who reigned over a most beautiful country. 
They were very rich and very happy, and lived 
in a most gorgeous palace, the grand gardens 
of which sloped down to the blue sea, on 
which sailed many richly-laden ships, carrying 
merchandise to the capital city of the kingdom. 

The palace was built of silver and ivory, and adorned with 
pale blue velvet hangings, upon which were painted the most 
exquisite pictures in the world. It stood on a high green hill, 
and far below lay the immense city of Buss, with its wide 
streets, many towers, and glittering fountains. As the King 
and Queen looked down from their beautiful castle on to the 
mighty city and great green plains which surrounded it, they 
ought to have been happy, but, curious to say, they were not. 
They had everything in the world to make them happy except 

109 



no 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


one thing, and that one thing they longed for ardently, the more 
so because they did not see any chance of obtaining it. 

“ Ah, if I only had a child ! ” sighed the Queen. 

“ Yes ; a little boy,” said the King. 

“ Or a little girl,” retorted the Queen. “ Don’t you know 
any faeries, my dear, who would gratify our one desire ? ” 

“ No,” replied the King, shaking his head sadly. “ My 
great-grandfather was the last person who ever saw a faery ; no 
one has ever seen one since.” 

“ I don’t believe they exist,” said the Queen angrily. 

“ Oh yes, they do,” observed her husband. “ This palace is 
said to have been built by faery hands.” 

“ I don’t believe they exist,” declared the Queen again. “If 
they did, they would surely help me by giving me a little girl or 
boy. What’s the good of faeries if they don’t help you ? ” 

“ I wish they would help me,” sighed his Majesty ; “all my 
subjects are getting so unruly that I don’t know but what there 
will be a revolution, and they’ll put some one else on the 
throne.” 

“ Who else could they find ? ” asked the Queen curiously. 

“ Oh, I’m not certain of that,” replied the King. “ You see, 
my grandfather, who was the first of our dynasty, ascended the 
throne by the help of the faeries, and the king who was deposed 
vanished, but they say some of his descendants live there ; ” and 
he pointed downward to the city. 

“And there they will stay,” said the Queen angrily. “I 
don’t believe a word of it. Faeries indeed ! they don’t exist.” 

w But they do,” persisted the King. 

Pooh ! ” replied her Majesty. “ Pooh ! ” 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS , . 


hi 


Now, when the Queen said “ Pooh!” her husband knew it 
was no use talking any more, so he retired to his cabinet to look 
over some petitions from starving people, while the Queen went 
down with the ladies-in-waiting to walk in the garden. 

It was really a delightful garden, filled with the most 
wonderful flowers. There were great beds of scented carna- 
tions, glowing with bright colours, red and white foxgloves, in 
whose deep bells the faeries were said to hide, masses of snowy 
white lilies, and a great mixture of marigolds, hollyhocks, sweet- 
williams, daisies, buttercups, and dahlias, which made the whole 
ground look like a brightly-coloured carpet. And as for the 
roses — oh, what a quantity of charming roses there were grow- 
ing there ! Red roses, varying in colour from a deep scarlet 
to a pale pink ; white roses looking like snowflakes ; yellow 
roses that glittered like gold, and faintly-tinted tea-roses that 
perfumed the still air with their sweet odours. Oh, it was 
really a famous garden, and bloomed all the year round, for the 
kingdom was situated in the region of perpetual summer, where 
snow never fell and frost never came. 

The Queen, whose name was Flora, wandered disconsolately 
about the garden, quite discontented with the beautiful flowers, 
because she could not obtain the wish of her heart. The ladies- 
in-waiting began to pluck flowers in order to adorn the royal 
dinner-table, and Queen Flora walked on alone towards a great 
white rose tree that was covered with blossoms. As she stood 
looking at it, she suddenly heard a tiny laugh, and a great 
white rose unfolded its petals, showing a golden heart, and also 
a dainty little faery dressed in delicate green leaves, with a 
crown of little white rosebuds, and a wand made of a blade of 


112 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 



grass. When the Queen saw her, she was much astonished, 
because she did not believe in faeries, but, now she really saw 
one, she had to believe her own eyes. 

“ I am called Rosina,” said the faery in a sweet, low voice, 
“and I heard you say you did not believe faeries existed ; now 

you see they do, be- 
cause I am a faery.” 

“Yes, you must be 
a faery,” replied the 
Queen, clasping her 
hands, “ because no 
human being could be 
so small.” 

“ Oh, I can be any 
size I please/ said the 
Faery Rosina, with a 
laugh, and, stepping 
down from the rose, 
she alighted on the 
ground, and instantly 
grew as tall as the 
Queen herself. 

“Oh, you are a real, real faery!” cried Flora in delight. 
“ But why do the faeries not appear now ?” 

“ Because the land is so badly governed,” said Rosina in a 
severe tone. “ Yourself and the King only think of luxury, and 
never of assisting the poor people ; but I am going to cure you 
both of such neglect.” 

“ But how ? ” asked the Queen, trembling. 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


H3 


“ By giving you your wish,” said the faery, plucking a white 
rosebud off the tree. “ Lay this bud beside your bed to-night, 
and at the dawn of day it will change into a beautiful little baby 
Princess, which is what you want.” 

“ Oh yes, yes ! ” cried the Queen ; “ I do want a Princess.” 

“ Every night at sundown,” said the faery slowly, “ the 
Princess will once more change into a flower, and become a 
human being again at sunrise.” 

“ But will she change like this all her life ? ” asked the 
Queen, in great dismay, for she did not like to have such a 
curious baby. 

“ She will be a Princess by day and a rosebud by night,” said 
Rosina, smiling, “ until she marries the great-grandson of the 
King whom your husband’s grandfather deposed from the 
throne.” 

‘‘And where is this Prince to be found?” demanded the 
Queen breathlessly. “ I’ll marry my Princess to him at once.” 

“You can’t do that,” said the faery, shaking her head. 
“ The exiled Prince does not know who he is, and the Princess 
herself will have to tell him he is of the royal blood. When she 
does that, and you marry them to one another, the spell will be 
removed, and she will be a Princess both by day and by night.” 

“ I don’t see how she’s ever going to find this lost Prince ! ” 
said the Queen angrily. “ I shall certainly not let my child run 
about the world looking for him.” 

“ Fate is stronger than you are,” replied the faery, “ and 
you will see what you will see.” So saying, she suddenly dis- 
appeared, and, as the white rose slowly curled up its petals, the 

Queen knew the Faery Rosina was inside. 

p 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


114 

The ladies-in-waiting, who had seen the Queen talking to a 
strange lady, dared not approach before, but now they saw their 
royal mistress was alone, they ventured to come near, and one 
of them offered to take the white rosebud which the Queen 
held. 

“ Oh no ! ” cried Flora, hastily drawing back her hand ; “I 
am going to keep this rosebud. It is my ” — 

She was going to say Princess, but, thinking it wiser to keep 
her own counsel, she held her tongue, and, on returning to the 
palace, told no one but the King about the faery’s promise. 
The King laughed at her, and said he did not believe her story — 
that she must be dreaming ; but the Queen persisted in her tale, 
that the rosebud would become a Princess, and placed it on a 
velvet cushion by the side of her bed. 

Next morning, at the first break of day, she sprang up out of 
bed and hurried to look at the cushion, but there lay the rosebud 
a rosebud still, and not a Princess, as she thought it would be. 

Queen Flora was very much disappointed, particularly as 
the King laughed at her folly for be- 
lieving she had seen a faery, when 
suddenly a shaft of golden sunlight 
shone through the window right on 
to the cushion, and in an instant, 
instead of the flower there appeared a beautiful naked baby, who 
laughed and crowed gaily. 

The Queen was nearly mad with joy, and took the baby up 
in her arms to show the King, who was equally delighted. 

“ You see there are faeries after all,” he said to the Queen. 

“ I always thought so,” replied the Queen. 



THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 




“Oh, my dear ! ” said the King, who was quite shocked at 
such a story. 

“ Pooh ! ” answered Queen Flora, tossing the baby up in 
her arms, and this ended the conversation. 


11. 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS IS LOST. 

Of course there was great joy when it came to be known that 
Queen Flora was the mother of a lovely Princess, and all the 
bells in the city were set ringing, while the poor people, for 
once, had as much food as they could eat. The ladies of the 
Queen admired the beautiful baby very much indeed, and there 
was no doubt the little Princess was really a charming child. 
By the advice of the King, however, Queen Flora told nobody 
about the transformation which took place at sundown, and 
always put the Princess to bed herself every night. Then, as 
the sunlight died out of the western skies, the pretty baby would 
change into a delicate white rosebud, and rested on a velvet 
cushion beside the Queen’s bed every night. At the first 
golden ray of the sun the bud changed to a beautiful Princess 
once more, and no one ever knew that she was only a flower 
transformed for the day into a human being. 

As the years rolled on, the Rose- Princess grew into a tall, 
slender girl, with golden hair, blue eyes, and the most beautiful 
complexion, white and pink, flushed like a delicate rose. When 
she walked she swayed like a graceful lily, and always dressed 


n6 THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 

in a green gown with a girdle of white roses, which were her 
favourite flowers. 

She also wore a silver circlet on her golden hair, upon 
which were fastened diamond roses and leaves made out of 
bright green emeralds, which made her look so 
beautiful that all who beheld her fell in love 
on the spot. Many princes heard of her beauty 
and wanted to marry her, but she did not care 
for any of her suitors, which pleased Queen 
Flora very much, for she was anxious her 
Princess should marry the great-grandson of 
the exiied King, and cease to change into a rosebud. 

The King made a proclamation that if the descendant of 
the old dynasty came to the palace, he would marry his 
daughter and be heir to the throne ; but no one ever came 
forward to claim the hand of the Princess, which showed that 
the Faery Rosina spoke truly when she said the exiled Prince 
knew nothing about his royal blood. 

The Princess was christened Rose by the Queen, because 
she really was the offspring of the white rose tree, but her 
complexion was so delicate, and her love for roses so great, that 
every one called her the Rose-Princess instead of the Princess 
Rose. 

Now, on the seventeenth birthday of the Rose- Princess, 
there was a mighty revolution in the city of Buss, and a great 
multitude of men and women marched to the palace in order to 
dethrone the King. He was not a bad King as kings go, but, 
not knowing how to govern, he did nothing but amuse himself 
with balls and fetes, letting his courtiers govern as they pleased. 



THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 



As the courtiers were all very greedy, and wanted money, they 
put such heavy taxes on the people, that at last the Kings 
subjects could stand it no longer, and while a ball was taking 
place in the great hall of the palace, in honour of the Rose- 
Princess’s birthday, the doors were burst open, and the mob 
rushed in. The ball was 
being given in the day- 
time, so that the Rose- 
Princess could attend, be- 
cause, of course, she could 
not dance when changed 
into a flower. The music 
was sounding most beauti- 
fully, the King and Queen 
sat on their thrones with 
golden crowns, and the 
Rose-Princess was dancing 
gaily, when the noisy 
crowd of ragged men and 
women rushed into the 
beautiful palace. 

Oh, it was really a 
terrible scene ! All the 
gaily dressed lords and ladies were seized by the dirty hands of 
the people, and stripped of their beautiful jewels. The great 
mirrors were all smashed, the lovely blue hangings torn down 
and trampled on by the mob, the gorgeous gardens were all 
destroyed, and these rioters, breaking into the King’s wine- 
cellars, began to drink the fine wine of which he was so proud. 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


118 

All the women of the city collected a lot of velvet couches, 
gorgeous dresses, and rich curtains into a heap in the garden, 
and, setting fire to it, danced about in a ring, singing loudly — 

“High to low 
Down must go ; 

Low to high 
Now must fly. 

All the lords and ladies dead. 

Let us eat their costly bread, 

While beneath our feet we tread 
Every proud and haughty head.” 

You may be sure the King and Queen did not wait to face 
these terrible people, but, disguising themselves in mean 
garments, fled from the palace, leaving all their beautiful 
things to be destroyed by the mob, who chose a President, 
and proclaimed a Republic, then began to kill all the lords and 
ladies they could find. The whole nation seemed to go mad, 
and there was no law or order anywhere, but every one did 
exactly as they pleased, so that the entire kingdom was brought 
to the verge of ruin. 

And the Rose-Princess ? — ah, poor lady ! she also fled in 
dismay from the terrible people, and sought refuge in her own 
room. It was still early in the afternoon, so she could not 
change into a rose, and thus escape the fury of the mob ; and, 
as her parents had deserted her, she stood trembling in her 
beautiful chamber, thinking she would be found and torn to pieces. 
Besides, being ignorant of her nightly transformation, she was 
afraid to go to bed, lest she should be killed while asleep. 

As she stood weeping and wringing her hands in despair, 
she suddenly saw a tall handsome lady standing before her, 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


119 

looking at her kindly. This was the Faery Rosina, who had 
come to save the Rose-Princess from the people, as it was not 
her fault that they had rebelled against the King. 

“ Do not weep, Rose-Princess,” she said in a kind tone ; 
“ though things seem to be going wrong 'ust now, they will all 
come right.” 

“But my dear parents!” cried the Rose- Princess, weep- 
ing. 

“They have left the palace,” said the faery in a severe 
tone, “ and will now endure hardship, to punish them for the 
way in which they have neglected their office ; but when they 
have learnt a lesson, they will come back again.” 

“ But what will become of me ? ” cried the Rose-Princess, 
as the noise of the mob came nearer and nearer. 

“ You will be quite safe,” replied the faery ; “ and the people 
who are now crying out to kill you, will soon be cheering you 
on your wedding-day, when you are married.” 

“ Married to whom?” asked the trembling Princess. 

“ Ah, that you must find out!” answered the Faery Rosina, 
as the crowd commenced to batter at the door of the room. 
“ But now I must save you from the people, or they will cer- 
tainly kill you.” 

As she said this, she touched the Princess, who immediately 
changed into a white rosebud, and lay on the dark green carpet 
like a snowflake. Then the Faery Rosina vanished, and the 
door was burst open, as the mob rushed in. 

Of course they now saw nothing, and never for a moment 
dreamt that the white rose lying on the carpet was their 
beautiful Princess, so they commenced to pull down all the 


120 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


costly things in the room, and would have trampled the rosebud 
under their feet, only a young student picked it up. 

He was a handsome fellow of twenty, this young student, 
with a slender figure and a dark, splendid-looking face. His 
name was Ardram, and he was one of the leaders of the revolt, 
although he did not wish the people to destroy everything as 
they were doing. Ardram was a very learned youth, and the 
son of a poor sick woman, of whom he was very fond. He had 
seen all the misery of the poor people who were in want of 
bread, and the sinful luxury of the court, so thought it but right 
that a change should be made. Therefore he led the people to 
the palace, to ask justice of the King, but they had become too 
strong for him, and he was already regretting that he had not 
let them stay where they were. However, it was too late now 
for regrets, but he determined not to take any part in the follies 
of the mob, so walked home to his own little room in the city, 
with the white rosebud in his button-hole. 

All night long he saw the flames rising from burning dwell- 
ings, and heard the shrieks of people being killed, so he felt 
very sad to think that he was the original cause of it all, 
though he certainly had no intention of letting such things be 
done. Then he determined on the morrow to talk to the 
people, and try and persuade them to stop their plundering and 
cruelty, but, in the meantime, went to bed and slept for an hour 
in an uneasy manner. 

He forgot all about the white rosebud, which had fallen on 
the floor, as he flung himself, dressed as he was, on his bed, but 
when he awoke in the morning, he was much surprised to find 
seated beside him a beautiful woman, who was weeping bitterly. 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS , . 


121 


“ Who are you ? ” asked Ardram, springing to his feet ; “ and 
how did you come here ?” 

“ I am the Rose-Princess,” she replied sadly ; “ but I do 
not know how I came here. You will let me stay, will you not ? 
I am so afraid of those terrible people who broke into the palace.” 

“ Oh, I wont let them harm you, Princess,” said Ardram, 
who had fallen in love with her beautiful face ; “ but you must 
not leave this room, or else I cannot protect you.” 

“I’ll stay here,” said the Rose-Princess obediently; “but 
will you please give me something to eat ? — I feel rather 
hungry.” 

So Ardram brought out some bread and wine, off which the 
Princess made a hearty meal, talking to her host all the time 
she was eating. 

“ I saw you in the palace yesterday,” she said, looking 
straight at Ardram. 

“Yes,” replied the student, blushing; “I was with the 
people. We only wanted justice, and I did not think they would 
go on like they did. The people were too strong for me, so I 
left them.” 

“ And will you put my father on the throne again ? ” asked 
the Rose- Princess eagerly. 

“ I’m afraid that will be impossible, Princess,” said Ardram 
quietly, “ unless he promises to govern better. You see, many 
years ago, a king was deposed for governing badly, and your 
grandfather was put on the throne— now they’ll offer the crown 
to some one else.” 

“ Perhaps they’ll offer it to you ? ” suggested the Rose- 
Princess. 

Q 


122 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


“ I don’t think so,” said Ardram, laughing, as he arose to 
his feet ; “ but if I did become king, I would take care that all 
my subjects were well off. Now I’ll go out, Princess, and you 
stay here.” 

“ Very well,” answered the Rose-Princess ; “ and do look for 
my parents.” 

“ I will — though I daresay they’ve left the city,” said Ardram, 
and he went away more in love with the Princess than ever. 

Meanwhile the Rose- Princess was left alone, and thought 
how noble and brave Ardram was. 

“If he was only the Prince I was to marry!” she sighed; 
“but then the faery said everything would come right, so, 
perhaps, he is to be my husband after all.” 

She waited all through the long day for the return of 
Ardram, but he did not return till sundown, and just as his hand 
was on the door, the Princess changed into a white rosebud, so, 
when he entered, he found the room empty. 

“ Princess, Princess, where are you ? ” he called out in alarm ; 
but of course no Princess answered him, and Ardram asked 
every one in the house if they had seen a beautiful lady go out, 
but no one had done so. 

“ I’ll go and see my mother,” said Ardram in perplexity, for 
his mother was a very wise woman, although at present she 
was lying on a bed of sickness. As soon as Ardram made up 
his mind to ask his mother’s advice, he put on his cap to go, 
when he spied the white rosebud on the floor. 

“ Hullo ! ” he cried, picking it up ; “ this is the rose I found in 
the palace yesterday — my mother is fond of flowers, so I’ll take 
it to her ; ” and he went away. 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


123 


The streets were quite full of people, all in a great state 
of excitement, for the King, Queen, and Princess had 
vanished, and, as all the ministers were beheaded, there was 
no one to rule, so the whole kingdom was in a dreadful 
state. 

Ardram reached his mother’s house, and found her in bed, 
very ill, but when she saw him she was much delighted. 

“How are things going?” she asked, after he had 
kissed her. 

“ Very badly,” replied Ardram ; “ no one is able to rule, and 
I’m afraid we will have a 
civil war.” 

“ Oh no, we won’t,” 
said his mother quickly. 

“If the people won’t have 
their present King, per- 
haps the exiled Prince of 
the old royal family will 
be found.” 

“I’m afraid not,” re- 
plied her son, smiling; 

“ but if he is, I hope he’ll 
rule wisely,” 

“ I hope so too,” said his mother pointedly. “ Who gave 
you that beautiful rose, Ardram ? ” 

“ I picked it up in the palace, mother,” he answered, and, 
taking it out of his button-hole, he gave it to her to smell. 
Then he told her all about the beautiful Princess, and his 
mother was very much astonished that the poor lady had left 



124 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. . 


the safe shelter of his room, and perhaps been torn to pieces 
by the angry people in the street. 

At last Ardram went away, leaving the rosebud with his 
mother, who laid it on her pillow and went to sleep. Next 
morning, when the beams of the sun were shining into her 
chamber, she awoke, and found the Rose-Princess sleeping 
beside her. 

“Are you not the Rose- Princess ?” she asked, for of 
course she recognised the King’s daughter at once by her 
crown. 

“ Yes,” answered the Rose-Princess quickly ; “but how did 
I get here ? The last thing I remember before I went to sleep, 
was standing in Ardram’s room.” 

“You must have walked here in your sleep, then,” said the 
sick woman, looking at her, “ because he has been searching for 
you everywhere.” 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” said the Rose-Princess, rising. “I 
would not like him to think I’d run away, because I am so fond 
of him.” 

“ Are you fond enough of him to marry him ? ” asked the 
mother sadly. 

“Yes, I am,” answered the Princess, blushing; “but I’m 
afraid he would not marry me. Besides, you know, I am to 
marry the exiled Prince of the old royal family, as soon as he is 
found.” 

“ He is found,” said the sick woman quietly. “ Ardram is 
my son, and the great-grandson of the King who was driven 
from the throne, so, if you marry him, he will be able to regain 
his throne again.” 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


125 


“And my father and mother?” asked the Princess in a 
faltering voice. 

“ I’m afraid they’re not fit to reign, if all I have heard is 
true,” said the mother in a melancholy tone ; “ and if you and 
my son, Prince Ardram, ascend the throne, I hope you will 
govern more wisely. Now, to prove the truth of what I say, 
pull out that wooden box from under my bed.” 

The Rose-Princess did as she was told, and, on lifting up 
the lid, saw a most beautiful crown, all over diamonds, and 
rubies, and great blue sapphires, sparkling like the stars. 

“ That is the old royal crown,” said the sick woman, as the 
Princess put it on her head, “and Ardram will be crowned 
with it.” 

“ But if your son is the Prince, why did you not send him to 
the palace to marry me ?” asked the Rose- Princess, who looked 
truly royal, as she stood in the room with the great crown on 
her golden head. 

“ Because I wanted him to see the misery of the people, 
before ruling over them,” said the mother quickly. “Now he 
knows what poor people endure, he will be a wise king, and 
govern well. Now, I will sleep until my son comes back, then 
we will see about getting you married.” 

So she turned her face away, in order to sleep, and the 
Princess put away the royal crown, and began to sing to the 
sick woman in a low, sweet voice. This is what she sang : 


** Roses red, in the red, red dawn, 

Open your hearts to the sun, I pray ; 
The dew lies heavy upon the lawn, 
Westward rises the golden day. 


126 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


Roses, droop in the hot noon-tide, 

Scatter your petals of red and white, 

Far in the depths of your green leaves hide, 

Till to the eastward the sun takes flight 

Roses white, at the shut of day, 

Close your blossoms thro* sunless hours ; 

The moon rides high in the sky so grey. 

Night brings sleep to the weary flowers.” 

Then she also fell asleep, and, as night came on, she was 
once more changed into the white rosebud, and lay on the 
pillow beside the grey head of Ardram’s mother. When the 
doctor, a gruff old man called Mux, came in, the sick woman 
awoke, and asked at once for the Princess. 

“ What princess ? ” asked Mux gruffly. “ There's no princess 
here. So much the better, as I’d cut her head off if I saw her.” 

“ But she was here when I went to sleep,” said Ardram’s 
mother angrily. 

“ Well, she isn’t here now,” retorted the doctor. “ I expect 
she’s left you to look for the King and Queen. But never mind 
about her — how do you feel yourself?” 

But the sick woman was much agitated over the loss of the 
Rose-Princess, and when her son entered, she told him how the 
Princess had been with her all day, and again vanished ; where- 
upon Ardram rushed out into the streets, to see if he could find 
the poor Rose- Princess again. 

When Mux was taking his leave, Ardram’s mother said she 
had no money to pay him. 

“ Never mind,” said the doctor gruffly, for he was really 
very kind-hearted; “ I’ll take this rose as payment;” and he 
picked up the white rose off the pillow. 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


127 


“ It’s very kind of you, doctor,” said the sick woman grate- 
fully. “ Take the rose by all means — my son gave it to me. But, 
doctor, do try and find the Princess ; if you do, I will reward you 
better than you think.” 

“ Stuff! ” said the gruff Mux ; and he went away home with 
the white rosebud fastened in his coat. 


hi. 

THE ROSE-PRINCESS FULFILS HER DESTINY. 

Gruff Dr. Mux took the white rosebud home with him, 
little thinking it was the lost Princess, which was perhaps just 
as well, seeing that he was such an enemy to the royal family. 
At least every one thought he was, but everybody was wrong 
to think so, as, in spite of the names he called them, he was 
really a great upholder of the throne, and in his humble house 
the exiled King and Queen had been hidden all the time of 
the revolution. No one thought of looking for them in the 
house of such a red republican as Dr. Mux, so they were as 
safe there as though they were guarded by stone walls and 
faithful soldiers. 

When Dr. Mux arrived home, he went straight to bed, but 
arose very early in the morning, before the sun was up, and 
called the King and Queen. 

“Sire and madam,” he said, bowing before them, “as I 
came through the streets, I noticed that the people were talking 
about re-establishing the throne.” 


128 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


“ Oh, then we will go back to our palace,” said the Queen 
joyfully. 

“And make an example of all traitors,” observed the King 
sternly. 

“ Nothing of the sort, sire and madam,” said the doctor, 
bowing again. “ From what I heard, I think the people want to 
put your daughter on the throne.” 

“ Nonsense !” said the King. 

“ Pooh ! ” said the Queen. 

“You think so ? ” observed the doctor severely. “ Listen.” 

They did listen, and heard a roar in the distance coming 
nearer and nearer, then a great mass of people came sweeping 
up the street, crying out, “ Long live Queen Rose ! ” “ Let 

us see our new Queen ! ” “ Where is the Rose-Princess ?” 

“ Ah, where indeed ? ” cried the Queen, weeping. “ I have 
not seen our beautiful daughter since the mob attacked the 
palace.” 

“ She would easily be recognised,” said the doctor. 

“ Pm not so sure of that,” replied the King, looking at the 
Queen. “You know our Princess is enchanted by the faeries.” 

“ Faeries ?” echoed the doctor ; “ I never saw one.” 

“ But I did,” said the Queen. 

“ Excuse me, my dear madam — dyspepsia,” returned the 
doctor gravely, for you see he did not know how the Princess 
changed to a rosebud every night. 

The Queen was very angry, but dared not say anything, 
lest the doctor should deliver her up to the mob, who were 
now surging in the wide street, listening to a man who was 
speaking. 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


129 


“ That is Ardram the student,” said the doctor. “ I saw 
his sick mother last night — she gave me this rosebud.” 

“ Ah,” sighed the Queen, as she took the rosebud from the 
doctor, “ how like my poor lost daughter ! ” 

“ I do not see the resemblance, sire and madam,” said the 
doctor; “but listen to Ardram ;” and he went out of the room, 
leaving the King and Queen to hearken to the man who had 
taken their throne from them. He was talking in a loud tone 
to the mob, and telling them they ought to elect the Rose- 
Princess for their Queen, as she would know how to govern 
better than her parents. The sun was just rising, and the 
golden beams were shining on his face, so that he looked truly 
noble. 

“A seditious traitor!” cried the King. 

“Cut his head off!” said the Queen. 

But they had not the power to do so, and, amid cries of 
“ Long live Queen Rose ! ” Ardram leaped from his standing- 
place, and all the mob swept down the street to look for the 
lost Princess. 

The King and Queen turned from the window in great 
anger, when they saw to their surprise that the Rose- Princess 
was standing in the room. 

“ My child, my child ! ” said the King, kissing her. 

“ It was your rosebud, then ? ” said the Queen, folding the 
beautiful girl in her arms. 

“What rosebud?” asked the Rose-Princess in surprise; 
“ and how did I come here ? ” 

“ The doctor brought you,” said the King. 

“Did he carry me through the streets ? ” asked the 


130 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


Princess, very much astonished. “ I wonder I was not 
recognised.” 

“No one could recognise you as you were then,” said the 
Queen, and nodded wisely, but she did not tell the Princess 
that she had been a rosebud when she was carried by the 
doctor. 

“ I’ve had such a lot of adventures,” said the Rose- Princess ; 
“but 1 don’t know how I came from one place to the other. 
First, I was in the palace, then in Ardram’s room, then by 
his sick mothers bedside, and now here. It must be the 
faeries.” 

“It is the faeries,” observed the Queen, kissing her daughter 
again. “You’ll know all about it when you marry the exiled 
Prince, and break the spell.” 

“ Oh, I can break whatever spell there is when I marry 
Ardram,” said the Rose Princess ; “ he is the exiled Prince.” 

“Nonsense!” said the King, frowning. 

“ Pooh ! ” said the Queen in an angry tone. 

“ Oh, but he is,” cried the Rose- Princess gaily. “ I saw his 
crown, for his mother showed it to me.” 

“ Then, if he is the real Prince,” said the King, “ you had 
better marry him, and break the enchantment.” 

“What enchantment?” .asked the Rose-Princess. 

“ You will find it all out,” began the Queen, “ when ” — 

“ When you marry Prince Ardram,” finished the King. 

All day the three royal people sat in the humble room of the 
doctor, and talked about their troubles. Rose- Princess told her 
parents all about the misery of the people, and how they ought 
to govern, but the King and Queen only laughed, which showed 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


131 

that the severe lesson of exile was lost on them. Gruff Dr. 
Mux was very much astonished to see the Rose- Princess, and 
told her how she had been proclaimed Queen by Ardram. 

“Then I’ll marry him,” said the Rose Princess promptly, 
“for I love him very much. Where is he ?” 

“ Coming up the street,” said the doctor. Then all four 
went to the window, and saw that the crowd of people were 
coming back, looking very disappointed because they had not 
found the Princess. 

Ardram mounted on a great stone in front of the church 
door, for the cathedral of the city was just opposite the doctor’s 
house. When the Rose-Princess saw him, she ran out of the 
room, down the stairs, and across to where the student was 
standing. 

“Ardram, Ardram, I am here!” she cried, and climbed 
up beside him. 

The people recognised their beautiful Princess at once, and 
cried out, — 

“ Long live Queen Rose ! ” 

“And King Ardram,” said the Princess loudly; “if you 
make me Queen, you must make him King, and we will both 
rule wisely.” 

“ She never thinks of us,” said her father. 

“ Ungrateful child!” cried the Queen.* 

But no one heard them, for the mob began to roar, “ Long 
live King Ardram and Queen Rose!” and the red light of the 
setting sun shone on the handsome couple as they stood on 
the stone. Ardram was beside himself with joy, not at being 
made King, but because the beautiful Rose-Princess had her 


132 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


white arms round his neck, and was saying how much she 
loved him. 

Suddenly the red light in the sky vanished and the sun set, 
leaving Ardram standing alone on the stone with a white rose 
in his hand. 

“ Where is the Queen ? ” roared the mob. 

“ I don’t know,” cried Ardram, looking at the white rosebud 
in a bewildered manner ; “ she is gone.” 

“ He wants to be King alone,” cried the people, “and has 
made the Queen disappear by magic.” 

“ No, no,” said Ardram. “ I love her too much for that.” 

“ Kill him ! kill him ! he’s a magician ! ” yelled the people, 
and they all pressed forward to tear Ardram off the stone, but, 
seeing his danger, he jumped down and ran into the church, 
closing the great doors after him. There he was safe, for the 
mob dared not to break into the church, but all night roared 
round it like a stormy sea round a little boat. 

The King and Queen left the window, and told the gruff 
doctor all about the enchantment of the Rose-Princess, which 
he was now inclined to believe, as he had seen her disappear 
so suddenly before his eyes. He recommended the Queen to 
call on the Faery Rosina, which she did, and in a moment the 
faery, a tall, beautiful woman, in a robe of shining green, was 
standing before them. Then the doctor did believe in faeries, 
because he now really saw one for the first time, and was much 
astonished. 

“Well, are you sorry you lost your throne?” asked the 
faery severely. 

“ Very,” said the King and Queen together. 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS . 


*33 


“If you go back, will you rule wisely ?” she said, looking 
at them. 

“We will rule just as we ruled before,” they replied. 

“ Then you are not fit to go back,” said Rosina sadly. “ I 
see I have not cured you after all.” 

“ Nonsense ! ” said the King. 

“ Pooh ! ” said the Queen, and they both thought the faery 
was very rude. 

“ I’ll settle everything to-morrow morning,” said the faery, 
quite angry at their folly. “ I can do nothing till the R.ose- 
Princess becomes a woman again — she will of course marry 
the Prince Ardram to break the spell.” 

“Is he really the Prince?” asked the King and Queen 
together. 

“Yes, he is,” retorted the faery shortly, and then vanished, 
leaving them quite disconsolate, as they thought they would 
never get back their throne. 

Meanwhile Ardram walked up and down the dark church 
all night, listening to the roaring of the crowd outside, and 
wondering how the Princess kept vanishing and appearing so 
strangely. He was more in love with her than ever, and at 
last went fast asleep on the altar steps, dreaming about his 
lovely bride, who said he would rule as King with her. The 
rosebud lay on the steps beside him, but Ardram never 
thought for a moment that his charming Princess was so near 
him. 

Next morning he awoke in the early grey dawn, before the 
sun was up, and found himself surrounded by the King, the 
Queen, Dr. Mux, his mother, now looking strong and well, 


i34 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


and a beautiful tall woman, in a green robe, with a wand made 
of white roses. 

“ I am the Faery Rosina,” she said to him in a low, sweet 
voice, “ and I am come to put things to rights, Prince 
Ardram. ,, 

“ Why do you call me 4 Prince ’ Ardram ? ” asked the student, 
looking puzzled. 

“ The Rose-Princess will tell you,” said the faery, smiling. 

41 But where is she ?” asked Ardram, looking around. 

“ There,” said the faery, pointing with her wand to the white 
rosebud, which lay on the floor where Ardram had flung it the 
previous night. 

“ Impossible!” he said in astonishment. 

‘‘Not at all,” cried the King, coming forward; “nothing is 
impossible to a royal princess. That rosebud is my daughter.” 

“ Given to the King and Queen by me,” said Rosina 
sweetly. “ They did not know how to rule, and as I knew this 
revolution would take place, I wanted to provide an heir to the 
throne.” 

“ But the white rose cannot reign,” said Ardram, rather 
bewildered. 

“ Not now, but wait till the sun rises,” cried the fairy. “ Ah, 
here is the first yellow beam ! Now look.” 

Every one looked at the white rosebud lying on the floor, 
and then a yellow beam which struck through a painted 
window, creeping nearer and nearer till it shone on the white 
bud. In an instant that vanished, and in its place stood the 
Rose-Princess, looking tall and beautiful. On seeing Ardram, 
she bounded towards him and put her arms round his neck. 



ON SEEING ARDRAM SHE BOUNDED TOWARD HIM AND PUT HER ARMS ROUND HIS NECK 





. 





























































THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


135 


“ Good morning, my Prince,” she said sweetly. 

“ But I am no prince,” cried Ardram, clasping her to his 
breast. 

“Yes, you are,” said the Rose- Princess merrily ; “ you are the 
great-grandson of the King who was deposed.” 

“Is this true, mother?” asked Ardram. 

“ Perfectly true,” she replied, producing the crown. “ Here 
is the royal crown ; you are the real King, but I did not dare to 
tell you till the Faery Rosina gave me permission.” 

“ And I waited till now because I wanted you to marry the 
Princess Rose,” said the faery, as Ardram placed the crown on 
his head. “ The Princess is enchanted, and turns into a rose 
every night, so in order to break the spell she must marry 
you.” 

“When?” asked both lovers together. 

“ Now,” said the faery, and, touching Ardram’s dress, it 
changed into beautiful royal robes all of gold, and at the same 
moment the Rose- Princess appeared dressed in wedding 
garments, with her crown of silver and diamonds on her 
head. The organ rolled out a bridal march, and the priests 
came forth in a long procession. In a few minutes the 
Princess Rose was married to Ardram, and then her silver 
crown rolled off. 

“You must not wear silver any more,” said the faery, 
“ because the spell is now broken, and you will never change to 
a rosebud again.” 

So saying, she touched the Rose-Princess’s head with her 
wand, and immediately there appeared a beautiful golden crown, 
as gorgeous as that worn by Ardram. 


136 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


“Now you are King and Queen,” said Rosina graciously, 
“so you will go to the palace and govern wisely.” 

“ Oh yes, we will,” cried the new King and Queen joyfully 
and then they kissed one another as they stood in their royal 
crowns and splendid garments before the great altar. 

“But what is to become of us?” said the old King and 
Queen. 

“You are not fit to govern,” said the faery severely, “and 
only care for pleasure, so you will go away to the other end of 
the kingdom, to a city of your own, where the people are as 
fond of pleasure as you are, and there you will be happy.” 

“ Nonsense ! " said the King. 

“ Pooh ! ” replied the Queen. 

Nevertheless, both of them were secretly very delighted, as 
they would now be able to enjoy themselves as they pleased. 
Then the faery ordered the doors of the cathedral to be thrown 
wide open, the organ played a triumphal march, and the new 
King and Queen walked slowly down the church, looking the 
handsomest couple in the world. The gruff doctor and the 
old mother followed, but the deposed King and Queen had 
vanished with the Faery Rosina, who transported them to 
their own city, wnere they ruled and enjoyed themselves for 
many years. 

Then all the people in the city saw the new King and 
Queen standing before them with their royal crowns, and the 
bells rang, the streets were made clear again, and as the young 
couple moved through the crowd, which strewed flowers before 
them, the people cried, — 

“ Long live King Ardram and Queen Rose!” 


THE ROSE-PRINCESS. 


137 


And the Rose-Princess never changed into a flower again, 
but became a true, loving wife to the King, who ruled well and 
wisely, for he had seen the hardships of his subjects when he 
was a poor student. They reigned long and happily, and had 
many children, but in all their prosperity the Queen never 
forgot how she had been an enchanted Rose- Princess. 

























































































































































































































ONE BRIGHT SUMMER’S NIGHT A NUMBER OF FAERIES FLEW INTO THE ROOM 


SORROW- SINGING 


HERE was once a poor woman who 
lived in a little village many, many 
years ago, when the world was much 
younger than it is now, and when the 
destinies of mortals were often con- 
trolled by the faeries. This woman, 
whose name was Eldina, had lost her 
husband, who had fallen in a great 
battle while fighting the enemies of his king, and a month 
after she heard of his death, Eldina became the mother of a 
beautiful little son, which event was a great comfort to her. 

The truth was that, seeing she was so miserable and lonely 
since the death of her husband, the kind faeries had given her 
this little baby to cheer her heart, and when it was born they 
took it under their own special protection. It was necessary to 
inform Eldina of this, so one bright summer’s night a number 
of faeries flew into the room where the child was lying and stood 
in a circle round the cradle. 

Eldina was engaged in some household work, but having 
faery blood in her veins, she had a very delicate sense of hearing, 



140 


SORRO W-S1NGING. 



and immediately knew by the rustle of the faeries’ wings that 
they had arrived. She made herself neat and clean to do 
honour to her illustrious visitors, and went into the room to hear 
what they had to say about the child. 

The cradle was quite covered with the most lovely flowers, 
which the enchantments of the faeries had caused to bloom on 

the brick floor of the 
cottage, and in the centre 
of the exquisite blossoms 
slept the smiling baby, 
on whose face shone a 
bright moonbeam. 

“ Eldina,” said the 
Faery Titania, who is 
Queen of the Faeries, “ we have come to bestow our gifts 
upon your child, whom we have taken under our special pro- 
tection — is there any gift you would like him to possess ?” 

‘‘Yes, your Majesty,” cried Eldina eagerly; “the gift of 
happiness.” 

All the faeries looked grave at this request, and a sigh 
sounded through the room, while Titania gazed sadly on the 
child. 

“ We cannot give happiness,” she said sorrowfully. “ Every 
mortal can only find happiness in his own actions, but we will 
do the best we can — I will give the child the gift of song, which 
is the greatest of all gifts.” 

So saying, she touched the child’s lips with her wand, and 
retired, while the Faery Laurina stepped forward with a wreath 
of laurel leaves. 


SORRO W-SING1NG. 


141 

“ I give this child the gift of fame,” she said, placing the 
laurel wreath on the baby’s head ; “ his songs will make him 
famous throughout the world.” 

“From me he receives the gift of beauty,” cried another 
faery, whose name was Venusina. 

“ From me the gift of wisdom,” said the Faery Mirvenetta. 

“ From me the gift of a kind heart,” observed a smiling fay, 
who had kind blue eyes. 

Then all the other faeries bestowed their gifts in turn — 
wealth, honour, grandeur, cleverness, strength. Everything 
that human beings most desire was given to this lucky baby, on 
whom the name of Lanis was now bestowed by the universal 
voice of all the faeries present. 

“ All these are beautiful gifts,” said Eldina, weeping, although 
she half smiled through her tears, “ but they do not bring 
happiness.” 

“They bring happiness if wisely used,” cried Titania. 

“ Then give him the power to use them wisely,” pleaded the 
poor mother. 

“We cannot — we cannot,” sighed the faeries; “the power 
rests with himself.” 

“Will he never find happiness?” cried Eldina in despair. 

“Yes, when he arrives at the Kingdom of Shadows, and 
enters it through the golden gate.” 

“ But how will he find the golden gate ? ” 

“ By being a good man. If he misuses his gifts and becomes 
wicked, he will go through the iron gate into the Kingdom of 
Fire.” 

Then the beams of the moon grew brighter, until the whole 


142 


SORRO W-SINGING. 


chamber glowed with silver light, and the faeries commenced to 
dance gracefully round the cradle, singing this song, while the 
baby Lanis slept peacefully, with the crown of green laurel leaves 
on his head : 


“Great blessings on thy head will fall, 

In this thy natal hour ; 

But ah ! the greatest gift of all, 

We have not in our power. 

We give thee wealth, we give thee fame, 
We give thee hate of wrong, 

The splendour of an honoured name, 

The mighty power of song. 

These gifts are idle as the wind, 

Tho’ by them thou art blest, 

Unless thro’ seeking thou canst find 
The gift we deem the best.” 


Then all the faeries melted away in the thin moonshine, the 
blooming flowers vanished through the floor, the laurel wreath 
disappeared from the baby’s head, and Eldina almost thought 
that she had been dreaming. 

She had not been dreaming, however, as she soon found out, 
for, as the years rolled by, and Lanis grew up into a tall, handsome 
boy, he became the wonder of the countryside, owing to his 
beautiful voice and his marvellous songs. Eldina had found a 
golden lyre left by the faeries when Lanis grew old enough to 
play it, and with this in his hand he was accustomed to wander 
about the country singing his lovely melodies. All the country 
folk used to make Lanis sing to them at their merrymakings, but 
when he lifted up his voice, the dancers would cease to dance, the 


SORRO W-SINGING. 


M3 


talkers to chatter, and they would sit with awestruck faces 
listening to the wonderful stories he told them. 

It was a curious thing that, in spite of what the faeries had 
said about not giving him the gift of happiness, the lad’s songs 
were of the most joyous description, and made the hearts of all 
rejoice. Eldina was delighted at this, as she thought Lanis 
would now be happy, in spite of the prophecy of the faeries, 
when at one merrymaking she heard an old man say, — 

“Ah, he sings fine, no doubt; but he’ll sing better when his 
heart is broken.” 

“ What do you mean ? ” she asked in great dread. 

“ Joy-singing is beautiful,” replied the old man, “but sorrow- 
singing is better ; your lad knows nothing of the bitterness of 
life, and sings like a delighted child. Wait till he breaks his 
heart, and he will be a famous singer indeed.” 

“ But will he be happy ?” she asked quickly, as the old man 
turned to go. 

“ No : genius is the gift of heaven, but it always brings 
sorrow to its possessor ; the laurel wreath is a sign of honour, 
but the leaves are bitter.” 

Eldina looked steadily into the eyes of the old man, anl saw 
that he was a faery who had come to warn her of approaching 
sorrow. She strove to detain him and learn more, but the faery 
had vanished, and her hands only grasped the rags of a scare- 
crow which stood in the fields. 

That night she died, and Lanis, who was deeply attached to 
her, wept bitterly as they buried her under the cool green turf. 
Before she died, Eldina called him to her bedside, and told him 
all about the faeries, bidding him wander through the world and 


144 


SORRO W-SINGING. 


seek the one gift which they could not bestow. Lanis wept, and 
although he could not understand what she meant, still a vague 
idea of her real meaning came to him as he sat by her grave 
under the silent stars and sang a farewell. There was a note 
in his voice which had not been there before, and the simple 
people in the village awoke at midnight to hear his sad voice 
float through the still air of the summer’s night. 

“It is sorrow-singing,” they said to one another. “ Lanis 
will never be happy again.” 

And they were right, for Lanis now started to wander through 
the world and find out how cruel and hard it can be to those 
who have sensitive souls and childlike faith. He was full of 
belief in human goodness and kindness of heart, for he had 
received nothing else but kindness in his country home ; but now 
his mother was dead, the spell was broken, and he set forth to 
find the gift of happiness. 

Many months he wandered, singing his songs, sometimes sad, 
sometimes joyful, but in all there sounded the weary note of 
longing for what he was seeking. 

“Where can I find happiness?” he asked an old beggar 
who lay by the wayside. 

“ In the Kingdom of Shadows,” replied the old man, without 
raising his eyes. 

So Lanis pursued his weary way over mountains, plains, 
and seas, always asking his one question, and always receiving 
the same answer. 

Once he came to a great city, and sang in the streets so 
beautifully of the green country and silver moonlight, that all 
the tired citizens crowded around to hear. A man who was 


SORRO W-SINGING. 


MS 


among the crowd came up to him as he ceased his song and 
touched him on the sleeve. 

“ Come with me,” he said eagerly, “ and I will make you 
rich.” 

“ I don’t want to be rich,” replied Lanis. 

“ That is a foolish thing to say,” said the man, who had a 
crafty face ; “ gold is the finest thing in the world.” 

So oily was his speech that he persuaded Lanis to come with 
him, and took him to a great hall to sing, where he stood at the 
door himself, making the people pay broad gold pieces to hear 
this wonderful poet who sang about such noble things. Lanis 
felt a longing for wealth in his heart, and sang about the 
power of gold to make or mar life, of the good it could do, of 
the evil that arose through its misuse ; and all the people 
in the hall, mostly fat, wealthy merchants, chuckled with 
delight. 

“ Ah ! this is a sensible fellow,” they said to each other; “he 
sings about sensible things.” 

“ I think his song about the beautiful green woods was finer,” 
sighed a poor boy who listened outside, but then no one took 
any notice of such a silly observation. 

When Lanis had done singing, he came out of the hall, and 
found the man who had tempted him with wealth sitting before 
a table heaped high with gold. 

“ Is all that mine ? ” asked Lanis in a breathless tone. 

“ All that yours ! ” echoed the man in an indignant 
voice ; “ no, indeed — it's my money — here is your share,” and 
he pushed two pieces of gold towards Lanis out of the great 
heap. 


146 


SORRO W-SINGING. 


“ But I earned it,” said Lanis indignantly ; “ 1 earned it 
with my voice.” 

“ And did I do nothing ? ” cried the man angrily. “ Do you 
think I can give my time and services to you for nothing ? I 
should think not. If I hadn’t put you into this hall to sing, 
and charged for people to hear you, why, you would have been 
singing for nothing in the streets, instead of getting two gold 
pieces.” 

“ But you have a hundred gold pieces.” 

“ Of course — that’s my share.” 

“ I did half the work, and I ought to have half the money.” 

“ Not at all,” replied the man, putting the gold in his pocket ; 
“if you wanted half you should have said so before you 
sang.” 

“ But I trusted you,” cried Lanis. 

“More fool you,” retorted the man carelessly; “but I saw 
you were a fool when you sang.” 

“You are doing a wicked thing.” 

“It’s only business,” shrieked the man ; “you ought to be 
pleased at my giving a beggarly poet like you anything, instead 
of trying to steal the money I’ve worked for so hard.” 

Then the man ran about the city telling all the people that 
he had done a great kindness to Lanis, and been shamefully 
treated for doing so. All the citizens, who quite agreed with 
the man’s way of doing business, fell upon Lanis, and, driving 
him out of the city, shut their gates against him. 

In this way, therefore, did Lanis gain his first experience of 
the world’s unkindness when there is any question between right 
and might. Picking up his lyre, he walked on, leaving the city 


SORRO W-SINGING. 


i47 


wherein he had been so cruelly deceived far behind him, and 
as he went he sang sadly: 

M In the school of life 
Is the lesson taught, 

That with harshest strife 
Is our knowledge bought 

We are bought and sold 
In our joy and grief ; 

I have lost my gold, « 

I have lost belie£ 

Ah, by cruel Fate 
We are onward led ; 

I have learned to hate, 

And my faith is dead.” 

Lanis certainly should not have sung so bitterly when such 
a beautiful world bloomed around him ; after all, being deceived 
by one man does not mean that every one else is as cruel ; but 
then Lanis was very sensitive, and the unjust way in which he 
had been treated made him very sad, so that all his songs 
now spoke but of the sorrows of life and the sadness of 
despair. 

As he wandered on for many months in this dismal mood, 
he met with many adventures, but, alas ! nothing which could 
give him back his former childlike belief in human kindness, 
and he was very anxious to get to the Kingdom of Shadows 
and find once more his lost happiness. 

Once he came to a great city which was the capital of a very 
rich kingdom, and here found the citizens in astate of great dismay, 
for their King, whom every one loved, had gone out of his mind. 
No one could cure him of his madness, so it had been proclaimed 


SORRO W-SINGING. 


T48 



that whomsoever should do so would become the husband of 
the lovely Princess Iris, who was the King’s daughter. Lanis 
saw the Princess, and she was so beautiful that he at once fell 
deeply in love with her, and, forgetting all his former experience 
of ingratitude, he thought that if he cured her father, she would 
grow to love him, and he would thus discover his happiness 
without looking any more for the 
Kingdom of Shadows. 

With this idea he went to the royal 
palace of the King, and there told the 
Lord High Chamberlain that he would 
cure the mad monarch by the power 
of song. The Lord High Chamberlain 
did not believe much in what Lanis 
said, still he was anxious that every 
means should be tried to 
cure the King, so let 
Lanis go into the dark 
room where he was 
sitting. 

The King was a 
noble-looking old man, 
who looked very sad and 
sorrowful, but Lanis saw 
at once that he was not really mad, but sad and despondent, 
owing to the treachery and unkindness he had found upon 
every hand. His dearest friends had betrayed him, his subjects 
were rebellious, and the poor King so despaired of ever making 
his people wise and noble that he had thus fallen into this 


SORRO W-SING1NG. 


149 


deeply sorrowful state which the Lord High Chamberlain 
mistook for madness. 

Lanis ordered the curtains of the great window to be drawn 
aside, and, when the bright sunlight streamed in through the 
painted glass, he sat down in the centre of all the gorgeous 
colours, and, taking his lyre, began to sing of noble deeds in 
order to rouse the despairing King from his lethargy; 

“The world is fair 
With beauty rare, 

Then why despair, 

Oh monarch great? 

He is not wise 
Who never tries 
Sublime to rise 
O’er adverse Fate. 

The summer flowers 
Re-bloom in bowers, 

Tho’ winter’s hours 
May kill with frost 
Beneath the sun 
As quick years run; 

All thou hast done 
Is never lost.” 

The King lifted up his head as he heard these comforting 
words, and looked at the noble face of the minstrel, for the 
silvery song bade him not despair, although no good appeared 
to come of all his work ; and Lanis, seeing a ray of hope beam 
in the King’s eyes, went on singing joyfully; 

“Put on thy crown, 

And boldly frown 
Thy sadness down, 

Tho’ keen the smart 


SORRO W-SINGING. 


150 


Thy burden take 
Of office great, 

And rule the State 
With dauntless heart. 

A coward he 

Who thus would flee 

Despairingly, 

In time of need. 

Tho’ evils lurk 
In darkness murk, 

Resume thy work — 

Thou wilt succeed.” 

Then the King, whose face now was shining with hope and 
strong resolve, put on his royal crown, took his golden sceptre 

in his hand, and went forth to 
take his seat upon the throne to 
do justice to his subjects. 

“ Thou art a wise youth,” 
said he to Lanis, “ and thy words 
are noble. It is foolish to desert 
one’s post when there is work to 
be done, and 1 will not forget 
thy rebuke. Now, thou wilt 
stay with me and marry my 
daughter.” 

Lanis was only too glad to 
do so, for he now loved the 
Princess with all his might, but, seeing her leave the great feast 
which the King had given in honour of his recovery, he followed 
her secretly, and found her weeping. 

“Why do you weep, beautiful Princess ?* he asked. 



SORRO W- SINGING. 


iSi 

“ Because I have to marry you,” said Iris sadly, “ and I 
love another.” 

Lanis felt a pang at his heart as she said this, and on turning 
round saw a handsome young man holding the beautiful 
Princess in his arms. 

“ Do you love one another ? ” asked Lanis, with tears in 
his eyes. 

“ Yes ; it would be death for us to part,” they both replied. 

Then Lanis saw that once more he had failed to find 
happiness, but still it was in his power to bestow it upon others, 
so he took the Princess and her lover to the old King, and 
obtained his consent to their marriage. The lovers thanked 
him heartily, and after Lanis saw them married, he once more 
started away to wander through the world. The King offered 
him gold and jewels to stay, but Lanis refused. 

“ Gold and jewels are good things,” he said sadly ; “ but 
happiness is better, therefore I go to find it.” 

“ And where will you find it ? ” asked the King. 

“In the Kingdom of Shadows,” answered Lanis, and he 
departed, singing his sorrow-song : 

“Ah me, what treasure 
To taste the pleasure 
Of love’s caress. 

Oh, idle lover, 

Wilt thou discover 
Heart’s happiness. 

Nay ! folly this is ; 

I gain no kisses 
From sweet Princess. 

Of him she’s fonder, 

So forth I wander 
In sad distress.” 


152 


SORRO W-SINGING. 


It would take a long time to tell how many adventures 
Lanis met with in his wanderings through the world. The 
years rolled by, and he travelled onward, never pausing, always 
hoping to find happiness, but, alas! no one could tell him where 
to look for the Kingdom of Shadows, and he seemed farther 
off his object than when he set forth. He freed many princesses 
from the durance of cruel magicians, but though they all thanked 
him for his kindness, they loved some one else, and he found 
no one in the world who cared at all about him. He was 
honoured far and wide for his gift of song, and did much good 
in all lands, but no one loved him for himself, and although he 
was the cause of happiness to others, he never felt happiness in 
his own heart. 

At last, after many years of weary travel, when he had grown 
a white-haired old man, with bent form and sad heart, he found 
himself on the shore of a great sea, beyond which he knew lay 
the most wonderful countries. A boat was rocking on the 
waves near the shore, so Lanis determined to sail over this 
mysterious ocean, and thought that perhaps far away in the 
darkness he might find the Kingdom of Shadows, for which he 
had sought so long and ardently. He knew that if he once 
sailed over this ocean, he would never be able to return to earth 
again, so he sang a last farewell to the beautiful world wherein 
he had done so much good, and then stepped into the boat. 

It was a fairy boat, and moved rapidly onward over the waves 
without sails or oars. The mists gathered thickly round him 
and hid the green shore from his view, so sitting in the boat he 
saw nothing but the grey sky above, the grey mists around, and 
beneath him the cruel black waters. He was not afraid, how- 


SORRO WRINGING. 


153 


ever, for he knew he had done no harm, and, seizing his harp, 
sang his last sorrow-song : 

“Grey mist around me, 

Grey sky above me ; 

Sorrow hath crowned me — 

No one will love me. 

Brave spirit, quail not ; 

All will be bright yet. 

At thy fate rail not ; 

God will make right yet 

Still do thy duty, 

Tho’ all deceive thee, 

Splendour and beauty 
Now will receive thee.” 

As he sang the last words, the strings of his lyre snapped 
with a loud crash, and, leaping out of his nerveless hands, it 
fell into the grey waves of the sea. Lanis did not grieve, 
for he now knew he was done with his sorrow - singing for 
evermore, and as the boat sailed onward he saw a red glow 
to the left. 

“That is the gate of iron,” he whispered to himself, “it 
leads to the Kingdom of Fire. Ah ! I would never find any 
happiness there.” 

The waves were foaming angrily round the little boat, and 
the red glare from the open portals of the iron gate looked like 
an angry sunset, but still Lanis felt no fear. After a time the 
red glare died away, and now on every side of him was a soft 
golden light, while the waves beneath the boat were of a delicate 
blue, and the sky above of the same soft tint. Lanis looked 

around, and saw a soft green shore, to which his boat drifted 

u 


i54 


SORRO W-SJNGING. 


gently, and he sprang out on to the yellow sand of the beach. 
As he did so, his travel-worn clothes fell off him, and he found 
himself arrayed in a long white robe. 

A tall man, also in a white robe, approached, and, smiling 
gently on Lanis, gave him a golden harp. 

“ Is this my old harp ?” asked Lanis, taking it 

41 No ; it is better than the old harp.” 

44 Is it for sorrow-singing ? ” 

44 Nay ; it is for songs of joy.” 

44 And is this Faeryland ?” 

44 Nay ; it is a nobler place than Faeryland.” 

44 Is it The Kingdom of Shadows ?” 

44 So we called it on earth, but now we know it as the King- 
dom of Eternal Light.” 

Lanis looked at the tall man as he said this, and saw it was 
the old king he had helped — now no longer old and frail, but in 
the prime of life. 

44 You are the King!” he cried gladly. 

44 Yes, I was the King. You pointed out my duty to me, 
and I did it ; otherwise I never would have reached here.” 

44 And the Princess ? ” 

44 Is quite happy,” replied the King. 44 She rules my realm 
with her husband, and both are wise.” 

44 Have you found happiness ?” asked Lanis. 

44 Yes! — and so will you, when you strike your harp,” 
answered the King. 

Lanis struck the golden strings of his harp, and immediately 
all his weariness and sorrow passed away, and he felt glad and 
joyful. At the sound of the music, he changed from an old 


SORRO W-SINGING. 


*55 


man into a noble-looking youth — the same Lanis who had sung 
to the King. 

“ Ah, I have indeed found happiness , 1 he cried ; “ but still, 
I feel I want something more.” 

“ I know what you want,” said the King. “ Look ! ” 

And Lanis, looking up, saw his mother, with a calm expres- 
sion of joy upon her face, coming towards him, with outstretched 
arms. All the white-robed spirits around struck their golden 
harps and sang the most beautiful songs that were ever heard, 
while mother and son embraced, and far off the palace of the 
great King shone like a bright star. 

Lanis also struck his harp, and, with the earthly monarch and 
his mother, went singing onward through the lovely fields, 
to kneel before the King, who had thus drawn him onward, 
through sorrow and sadness, to find his happiness at length in 
the land which we mortals call the Kingdom of Shadows but 
which wise men know as the Kingdom of Eternal Light. 



THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


I. 


RING MAGIC. 

ELCH was a handsome young man who lived in 
a litde village which was near a great black 
forest, and he thought himself the most miser- 
able being in the world. It was very curious 
that he should do so, for he was young, good- 
looking, and healthy, but he did not value any 
of these gifts, because he was in love with Filina, the prettiest 
girl in the whole country, and her father wanted her to marry a 
very rich man called Hocky, for whom she did not in the least 
care. 

Now Filina was also in love with Kelch, and hated the idea 
of marrying ugly old Hocky, but, as he was rich and Kelch poor, 
her father would not let her wed as she wished. Kelch had a 
little cottage near the wood, which had been left to him by his 
mother, and earned his livelihood by cutting firewood, which, to 
be sure, was not a very aristocratic occupation. Still, in those 
days people did not care much for rank, and pretty Filina loved 




158 THE GOLDEN GOBLIN, 

Kelch tenderly in spite of his humble calling. She nearly wept 
her eyes out when her father said she was to become the bride of 
Hocky. He was an avaricious old dwarf who only cared for 
gold, and wanted to marry Filina, not for her beauty, but because 
he knew she would some day be left money when her father 


died. When Kelch heard of the proposed marriage, he went to 
Filina’s father and told of his love, but the cruel parent laughed 
at his request. 

“ You marry my daughter ! ” he said mockingly. “ What an 
idea ! — you can give her no money.” 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN. 


“ But I can give her love,” said Kelch sturdily, “ and that is 
much better than money.” 

“ I don’t think so,” retorted Filina’s father. “Any one can 
make love, but few can make money, so go back to your wood- 
cutting, and don’t come to me with such silly requests.” 

“ Is there no chance for me ? ” cried Kelch in despair. 

“Yes — one,” answered the old man mockingly. “ Become as 
rich as Hocky, and you shall marry my daughter.” 

Poor Kelch went away with tears in his eyes, because old 
Hocky was known to be very wealthy, and how could an un- 
known youth hope to become rich when he had no one to help 
him ? It was no good feeling sad, however, for sorrow would 
not help him to win Filina, so Kelch determined to go to the 
castle of the Wicked Baron who lived in the centre of the forest, 
and ask him to make him a present of some gold. 

The Wicked Baron was a famous miser, and his castle was 
said to be full of gold, so, in spite of his bad character, Kelch 
thought he would not refuse to give him a little out of his plenty. 
So early one morning, after saying good-bye to Filina, he went 
into the forest to search for the Wicked Baron’s castle, and ask 
its owner to give him some gold. 

Kelch wandered deeper and deeper into the forest, which 
became wilder and more savage as he advanced, but still he did 
not come across the looked-for castle. Night was coming on, 
and the wood was full of sombre shadows, while behind the 
trees flushed the fierce red light of the setting sun. It was a 
faery forest, and all the ground was covered with soft grass, 
and strange flowers which only bloomed at night-time; while 
overhead the nightingales sang most deliciously in the trees, 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


160 

and at intervals the wise owls hooted in the most unexpected 
manner. 

As it was now quite dark, Kelch thought he would sleep under 
a great oak tree until the morning, and then once more set out 
upon his travels ; so he ate some food he had brought with him, 
drank from a stream which sparkled by, and after saying his 
prayers, — for he was a good lad, — rested his head upon his knap- 
sack and went fast asleep. 

In the middle of the night, however, he woke suddenly under 
the influence of enchantment, for the whole of the forest was 
flooded with the silver moonlight, and on every side the faeries 
were holding their revels. Having drank of the waters of the 
brook, Kelch had come under the charm of faery power, and, to 
his surprise, was able to understand the talk of two elves who 
sat chattering to one another on the broad white cup of a lily. 

“ Who is this youth lying asleep ? ” asked the first elf, never 
thinking for a moment Kelch was awake, and only kept his eyes 
closed in order to hear what they had to say. 

“ He is called Kelch,” said the other elf, “and loves Filina, 
who is to marry old Hocky. He is now searching for the castle 
of the Wicked Baron, to ask for gold.” 

“ He’ll never find it,” observed the first faery, “ unless he asks 
the Owl who lives in the oak tree under which he sleeps.” 

“ Then I will ask the Owl,” cried Kelch, sitting up, whereupon 
both faeries flew away in great alarm, much to his regret, as he 
wanted to make inquiries about the Owl. 

He looked up at the tree, but could see nothing save the 
branches interlaced against the clear sky, and now and then a 
gleam of moonlight on the rough bark of the trunk. As Kelch 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN. 


161 


had often heard that song was the only way to invoke faeries, 
he thought he would try the same means with the owl. So, 
springing to his feet, he began to sing, making up the words as 
he went along : 

“Fairy Owl, 

Clever fowl, 

Please tell me 
Where to see 
The castle old, 

Where Baron bold 
Hoards up his gold.” 


The words were not very good, but they told exactly what 
he wanted to know, and the Owl put her head out of a hole in 
the tree with a wild hoot, her eyes glowing red like burning 
coals. 

“ Go away, boy,” croaked the Owl angrily, “and do not dis- 
turb me in my grief. The Baron is dead, and I am in mourning 
for him.” 

“ The Baron dead ! ” cried Kelch in dismay. “ Oh dear ! then 
I won’t be able to get any gold. I don’t know, though — he can’t 
have taken his gold with him, so it must be there still. Owl ! — 
Owl ! — where’s the castle ? ” 

The Owl hooted crossly, and then replied : 

“Follow the brook 
To open ground, 

Then upward look, 

And all around. 

Jump water cold, 

Then you will see 
The castle old 
Frown o’er the lea.” 

X 


162 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


The Owl drew back her head into the hole, and Kelch, taking 
her advice, followed the windings of the brook through the 
forest. There never was such a winding brook ; first it twisted 
one way, then another, curled round trees, hid under rocks, 
fell down precipices in sheets of foam, and even flowed up a 
gentle incline. At last it began to grow straighter, and finally 
led Kelch into a wide open glade girdled with trees, but flowed 
directly in front of him, so that, in order to reach the glade, he 
would have to cross it. 

“I don’t see any castle,” said Kelch to himself; “but then 
the Owl said, ‘Jump water cold/ so if I cross this brook, which 
evidently renders the castle invisible, I will see it.” 

As soon as he made up his mind to do this, he jumped 
over, and, on landing safely on the opposite bank, saw before 
him a great castle, with many towers all overgrown with 
ivy. So Kelch was right, the brook rendered the castle 
invisible, and unless he had jumped across it he would have 
seen nothing. 

Kelch saw no lights in the castle, but, being a brave lad, he 
did not mind that, so marched boldly forward, climbed up a 
broken-down flight of steps leading to the front door, and, finding 
it open, entered. It was all dark inside, but Kelch had a bit 
of candle in his pocket, and, having lighted it, he set out to 
explore the castle, which was evidently quite deserted. 

He wandered through room after room, all of which were 
quite empty, and inhabited by nothing but spiders, there not 
even being a rat. The moonlight streamed into the lonely 
halls through the painted glass of the windows, and filled them 
with strange shadows, but Kelch, knowing that he had done no 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 163 

one harm, was not afraid, and began singing to keep up his 
spirits : / 

“Thro’ lonely halls, 

Wander, wander; 

The moonlight falls 
Yonder, yonder; 

Tho’ dark appals, 

Ponder, ponder. 

Sad thoughts arise, 

Weary, weary ; 

The night-wind sighs, 

Dreary, dreary ; 

I hear strange cries, 

Eerie, eerie.” 

And indeed he did hear strange cries, sometimes like the 
roaring of wild beasts, then shrill sounds like the piping of winds 
upon sandy beaches, sometimes a cry of pain, and at time as 
burst of wild laughter. In order to protect himself, he drew his 
hunting-knife from his girdle, and went in the direction from 
whence the noises proceeded. When he did this, he found 
himself descending the stairs, and thought he must now be 
going to the cellars where the Wicked Baron kept his gold. 
The noises grew louder and louder as he descended, and at last 
all dwindled down to one harsh voice, which was singing 
this song : 

The Goblin Golden 
Here you will find ; 

From ages olden 
Pve ruled mankind. 

Another victim 
I now will bind; 

When I have tricked him 
He’ll sorrow find.” 


164 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


Kelch had by this time come to the end of a long dark 
passage, and was stopped by an iron door, under which gleamed 
a line of bright yellow light. He knocked, then suddenly with 
a loud crash the door flew open, and he saw before him a 
circular room illuminated with the bright yellow light. In the 
centre was a great pile of gold coins, on the top of which was 
seated a funny little man. 

Such a queer figure he was, with a great fat body like a bag 
of money tied round the top with a golden cord, so that it made 
a ruffle for his neck, and above this was 
an enormous head with two fierce yellow 
eyes, a great beak of a nose, and a wide 
mouth, which when open showed long 
golden teeth. He had short little legs, 
with long peaked shoes of gold, and in 
his hands held a golden sceptre, while on 
top of his great head of yellow hair was 
a huge crown of heavy gold set with 
flashing diamonds. He had a yellow skin 
and yellow clothes, — in fact, he was 
yellow all over, and he sat cross - legged on the top of the 
heap of gold, grinning and nodding at Kelch till the diamonds 
in his crown glittered like great stars. 

“ I am the Golden Goblin,” he cried in a harsh voice, when 
he saw the lad, “ and I know what you come for, so take as 
much gold as you like and go.” 

“ But where is the Wicked Baron ?” asked Kelch. 

“ He has gone to my kingdom below,” said the Goblin, 
grinning ; “he was my servant, and had as much gold as he 































































































































































































































































































































































































































































. 













































' 






THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 165 

wanted, on condition he came with me when he died, so he did 
die last year, and I’ve got him safe in my kingdom.” 

Kelch’s hair arose on end at this, so wicked did the Goblin 
look, but as he had done no harm, he was not afraid. 

“ Can I take some gold ? ” he asked ; “ I want some in order 
to marry Filina.” 

“You can take as much gold as you like,” replied the 
Goblin graciously, “ on condition that you put this ring on 
Filina’s finger as a present from me.” 

“ Oh, I don’t mind that,” said Kelch, taking the gold ring 
held out to him by the Goblin. “ Thank you kindly ; it will do 
for a wedding ring.” 

“ Exactly,” cried the Goblin, nodding his ugly head ; “ it will 
do for a wedding ring. Now, fill your pockets with this gold, 
and it will do for Filina’s dowry.” 

“ But then this gold belongs to the Baron.” 

“ No, it doesn’t ; he’s dead, and it belongs to whomsoever I 
choose to give it,” roared the little man, kicking several pieces 
across the floor. “ All the gold in the world is mine — take as 
much as you like, and don’t say I’m not kind.” 

You may be sure Kelch did not require a second invitation, 
and filled all his pockets with money, so that he bulged out all 
over in the most grotesque manner. While he did so, the 
Golden Goblin jumped off the heap and danced about the room, 
singing the queerest songs Kelch had ever heard. When his 
pockets were quite full, he thanked the Goblin and said 
good-bye. 

“ Good-bye,” cried the Goblin, as Kelch went to the door, 
“till I see you again.” 


i66 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


“You’ll never see me again,” returned Kelch, rather 
annoyed. 

“ Oh yes, I will,” grinned the yellow man, jumping up again 
on the golden heap. “Don’t forget to marry Filina with my ring.” 

“No, I won’t forget,” said Kelch ; and then the Goblin 
burst out laughing, while all the gold upon which he was seated 
commenced to whirl round, until Kelch could not see the little 
man, but only a gleaming column of gold, which was at first as 
high as the roof, then sank lower and lower until it disappeared 
through the floor. Then the yellow light commenced to fade, 
so Kelch, seeing there was no time to be lost, left the chamber 
and hurried up-stairs as hard as ever he could. 

Feeling very delighted that he had attained his object, he 
left the castle of the Wicked Baron and jumped across the 
brook. When he did so, the magic castle disappeared, and 
Kelch, with the gold in his pockets and the ring upon his finger, 
followed the windings of the brook until he arrived back at the 
oak tree. 

“ Oh, you’ve got back ! ” cried the Owl, putting out her head. 

“Yes; and I've got the gold, thank you,” said Kelch 
cheerfully. 

“ Much good may it do you,” hooted the Owl, and withdrew 
her head again. 

Kelch thought the Owl was very rude, but as she had done 
him a great service, he said nothing, but walked through the 
forest, and on arriving at the outskirts went straight home just 
as the red dawn was breaking in the east. 

During the day he went to Filina’s father and gave him all 
the gold he had obtained from the castle of the Wicked Baron, 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN. 


167 


upon which the old man was so delighted that he at once gave 
his consent to the marriage, much to the disgust of Hocky, who 
was very envious of Kelch’s good fortune. 

In the evening Filina’s father gave a dance on the village 
green in honour of his daughter’s marriage, and while the 
merrymaking was going on, Kelch took the opportunity to slip 
the Goblin’s ring on Filina’s finger. No sooner had he done 
so, than, to the dismay of every one, the poor girl vanished out 
of their sight, and Kelch was in despair. 

Filina’s father was very angry at the disappearance of his 
daughter, and his rage was further increased by Hocky, who 
said that Kelch must have promised to give Filina to the 
Goblin in exchange for the gold. All the villagers believed this 
malicious story, and drove Kelch from his home with sticks and 
stones. So the poor lad found himself at last seated once more 
under the oak tree, having lost Filina, his gold, his home, and 
his good name. 


11. 


THE REALM OF GOLD. 

It was now night-time once more, and the wood was again full 
of merry faeries, but Kelch was too much taken up with his own 
sorrows to notice them, although the pranks they played would 
have amused the saddest person in the world. However, when 
things are at their worst they generally begin to mend, as Kelch 
soon found out, for, while he was lamenting his evil fortune, the 


i68 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


Owl put her head out of the hole in the oak tree and hooted 
loudly, “ Tu-whit ! tu-whoo ! ” Kelch looked up, and, knowing 
owls to be wise birds, fond of word-twistings, made instant 
reply. 

“True wit I have not owing to my sorrow, and I go not to 
woo because Filina has been taken from me.” 

“Very neat indeed,” replied Mrs. Owl politely. “ I see you 
have the real court air.” 

“ It must be natural, then,” said Kelch, with a sigh, “ because 
I’ve never been to court.” 

“ Never mind,” observed the Owl, nodding her head sagely; 
“ perhaps you will go some day. But why do you sit under my 
tree and cry ? ” 

“ Because I’m so miserable,” said Kelch, and thereupon he 
told the Owl all his troubles in connection with Filina. The 
Owl listened attentively with her head on one side, and, when 
he came to the end of his story, wiped her eyes with a dry leaf, 
for she was a very tender-hearted bird, and felt very sorry for 
Kelch. 

“ Ah, that Goblin, I know him well ! ” she said, when she had 
recovered from her emotion ; “ he has carried off my friend the 
Wicked Baron, who was no more wicked than you, except that 
he was too fond of gold. Ah, that was his ruin ! for if it had 
not been for his love of money, the Golden Goblin would never 
have carried him off.” 

“Why did he carry him off?” asked Kelch. 

“ Because once a year the Golden Goblin has to make the 
offering of a human being to the King of Fire, for if he did not, 
the King of Fire would invade the Realm of Gold, and destroy 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN. 169 

the kingdom of the Golden Goblin. He offered the Baron as 
the last victim, and the next will be Filina.” 

“Filina!” cried Kelch in a tone of despair. “Oh no, it 
can’t be true.” 

“ It is true — quite true,” replied the Owl in a dignified manner. 
“ The ring he gave you is a magic ring, and as soon as it was 
placed on Filina’s finger, she vanished from the earth.” 

“ She did — she did ! but where is she now ?” 

“ Down below in the Realm of Gold. To-morrow she will 
be given up as the bride of the King of Fire.” 

“ Cannot I save her ? ” 

“ I don’t know,” said the Owl reflectively. “If your heart 
is strong, and you don’t feel afraid, perhaps you may.” 

“Oh, I’m not afraid!” cried Kelch quickly. “ Do help me 
to save her, dear Mrs. Owl — please do ! ” 

“I’ll help you to save Filina and punish wicked old Hocky 
on one condition,” said the Owl slowly ; “ and that is that you 
never cut down my oak tree yourself, or let any one else cut it 
down.” 

“ Oh, I’ll promise that,” answered Kelch earnestly. “ Your 
oak tree will always be safe.” 

“ Then you keep your promise and I’ll keep mine,” cried the 
Owl. “ Now, first you must get to the Realm of Gold.” 

“ But how ? ” 

“ Don’t be impatient, and I’ll tell you. The way to the 
Realm of Gold is down the trunk of this oak tree, so if you 
climb up to my nest, I’ll show you how to crawl down.’ 

“ But I’m too big,” said Kelch, looking at his sturdy 
figure. 


Y 


170 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


“ Oh, that will be all right ; climb up to my nest, and as you 
climb you’ll grow smaller.” 

Kelch lost no time in obeying Mrs. Owl, and started to 
climb up the great trunk of the oak tree. As he did so, he 
found himself shrinking every minute, and when he arrived at 
the nest he was only two feet high, and able to enter the hole 
without bowing his head. 

The Owl received him very graciously, and showed him her 
home, which was beautifully furnished with dry grass, and 
curtains of green moss. 

“ These are my books,” said Mrs. Owl, showing him some 
dried leaves ; “ for I read a great deal — it improves my mind. 
The Faery Minervetta gave me these beautiful volumes.” 

“ They look like dried leaves,” observed Kelch. 

“To you; yes, because you are a mortal, but I am a faery 
owl, and can read faery books. However, there’s no time to be 
lost, or Filina will become the bride of the King of Fire, and 
then I cannot help you. Now, take this phial of water.” 

“What good will it do ?” asked Kelch, putting the phial in 
his pocket. 

“ A great deal of good,” replied the Owl severely ; “ all the 
subjects of the Golden Goblin are mortals who are discontented 
with their lot, and want gold to buy all sorts of bad things ; that 
phial contains the water of contentment, and if you sprinkle it 
over the men and women you find in the Realm of Gold, they 
will grow satisfied with their station in life, and not want any 
gold ; therefore the Goblin will lose all his subjects. When he 
sees that, he’ll soon make terms with you, and then you can 
demand back Filina.” 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


271 

“I understand,” said Kelch ; “but how do the men and 
women get to the Realm of Gold if they are mortal ? ” 

“They go in their dreams,” replied the Owl. “When they 
are awake during the day they live on earth, but at night in 
their sleep they go down to the Realm of Gold to be the slaves 
of the Golden Goblin ; and, indeed, many of them are his slaves 
in the day as well as in the night. Now go away at once, or 
you’ll be late.” 

Kelch thanked the kind Owl, and, going through a little 
door at the back of the nest, commenced to clamber down the 
inside of the oak tree trunk, while the Owl resumed her studies. 

“ I’ve saved my tree,” said the Owl to herself sagaciously; 
“ no one will cut it down now. Ah, there’s no doubt I’m really 
a very wise owl ! ” 

And indeed she was ; for she had gained by kindness what 
she never would have gained by force, which shows that it is 
best to be gentle in all things if we want to be successful. 

Meanwhile, Kelch, being completely in the dark, did not 
know his way, and in spite of all his care suddenly slipped and 
fell right down the centre of the tree trunk. However, as he 
was in Faeryland, he felt no fear, for, indeed, he was falling 
quite gently, as the air was so heavy, and he was so small and 
light. Down, down he fell through the darkness, till at last he 
came bump upon a cushion of moss which was at the foot of the 
tree. Here there was a faint glimmer of light, and he saw 
above him the mighty roots of the oak stretching out in all 
directions like the rafters of a huge hall. His eyes soon became 
accustomed to the glimmering twilight in which he now found 
himself, and he looked around to see where he would go next. 


172 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


Through the misty blue light he espied a small hole which 
seemed to lead downward in a gentle slope, but it was so dark 
that he felt rather afraid to enter into it. Suddenly he saw that 
the misty blue light was caused by the radiance of some 
decayed wood which lay about, so, catching up a piece, he 
advanced boldly into the hole, and soon discovered that it gave 
him sufficient light to see a short distance before him. 

Kelch was now in a narrow tunnel, the sides, floor, and roof 
of which were nothing but rough rock, but as he advanced these 
commenced to glisten with jewels, until they reflected the light 
of his decayed wood torch so brightly, that he walked in the 
centre of a brilliant blaze. At last the passage ended suddenly 
at a deep hole, up which rushed a current of warm air. There 
seemed no way of getting down, but Kelch, remembering his 
experience in the oak tree, never hesitated for a moment, but 
flung himself boldly into the hole. The warm air bore him up, 
and he fell gently for a long time, seeing the sides of the hole 
rushing past him one blaze of light, like a splendid jewel. The 
air grew hotter and hotter as he fell, until at length he tumbled 
right into the centre of a heap of gold dust, which made him 
sneeze dreadfully. All around him was a soft golden light, such 
as he had seen in the treasure vault of the Wicked Baron ; so, 
throwing away his useless torch, he jumped to his feet and 
looked about him. 

He was now in the middle of a large plain, and could see 
neither the sides nor the roof of what he thought must be a 
cavern, as it was below the earth, but only a soft gold mist 
floating above him, and surrounding him on all sides, while the 
ground was covered with fine glittering gold dust, in which lay 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


173 


great rocks and stones of pure yellow gold, gleaming dully in 
the subdued yellow twilight. 

It was truly a wonderful place, and what was more wonder- 
ful was, that Kelch now found he had grown again to his natural 
size ; so, very satisfied with everything, he marched along over 
the plain to look for the Golden Goblin. 

For a long time the plain was quite lonely, and then he saw 
one or two people in the distance ; shortly afterwards, some 
more, until at length he found himself among a great crowd of 
shadows. Kelch knew they were dream-shadows, although 
they looked like flesh and blood men and women, and he moved 
through the dense mass quite unnoticed, so intent were they on 
their occupations. These consisted in picking up nuggets of 
gold from the ground and putting them in their pockets ; but 
Kelch noticed that all their pockets had the bottoms cut off, so 
that when the nuggets were put in, they simply fell through to 
the ground once more. Some of the shadows wore chains of 
gold, of which they seemed very proud, and not one person paid 
any attention to another, but each bent eagerly down gathering 
up the gold, and putting it into their bottomless pockets. There 
were old white-headed men, palsied elderly women, men in the 
prime of life, and beautiful maidens ; but all their faces wore 
the same eager expression, as they clutched the shining gold. 

Kelch could not help pitying them as they worked at their 
fruitless tasks, but he knew they did it of their own free will, so 
that the work which appeared a pain to him was a pleasure to 
them. 

Suddenly he recollected the phial given to him by the Owl, 
and, as he did not see anything of the Goblin, pulled it out of 


174 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


his pocket and began to sprinkle the water of contentment on 
the avaricious shadows. 

Every time a drop fell on one of them, that shadow vanished, 
and Kelch knew that it had returned to its sleeping body on 
earth, quite contented with its station in life, and would look no 
more for gold. 

Hundreds of shadows vanished as he sprinkled them with 
the water of contentment, when all at once a quiver passed 
through the crowd, and before Kelch had time to wink, the 
Golden Goblin, with his eyes blazing with rage, stood before 
him, looking uglier than ever. 

“ Ho ! ho ! ” cried the Goblin furiously ; “ it is you who are 
trying to rob me of my subjects — but I’ll give you to the King 
of Fire. Seize him at once ! ” 

A crowd of grotesque goblins, all very like their master, 
rushed forward and tried to seize Kelch, but he sprinkled them 
with the magic water, which burnt like fire, and they all tumbled 
back in a confused mass. The Golden Goblin stamped with 
rage, but was afraid to come near Kelch, lest he also should be 
sprinkled with the water of contentment. 

“What do you want?” he shouted, as Kelch paused for a 
moment. “ I told you we would meet again — but what do you 
want ? ” 

“You know well enough,” retorted Kelch coolly. “ I want 
Filina — you stole my Filina from me.” 

“She’s mine now,” said the Goblin in a grumbling tone, 
“and I’m going to give her as a bride to the King of Fire; 
besides, I paid you well for her — you took a lot of gold.” 

“Yes, but that was a present,” cried Kelch hotly. “ I never 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


i7S 


said I would let you steal my future wife; I want Filina, not 
your gold.” 

“ Don’t want gold ! ” said the Goblin in astonishment ; “ you 
are the first mortal I ever heard say that.” 

“ I’ve got no time to talk,” observed Kelch, raising the 
phial, “so if you don’t give me back my Filina, I’ll leave you 
without a single subject.” 

“ Stop, stop ! ” cried the Goblin in consternation ; “ don’t do 
that. Come with me to my palace, and I will give you back your 
Filina — on conditions.” 

“ I won’t make any conditions,” said Kelch, as they walked 
along ; “ I want my Filina, and nothing else.” 

The Golden Goblin grinned angrily at this, but as Kelch 
had the phial, and could make his subjects vanish, he was afraid 
to say anything as they glided rapidly along to the palace. It 
was gliding and not walking, for Kelch found that though his 
legs did not move, still he seemed to be approaching nearer to 
the great gold castle in which the Goblin held his court. 

It was all built of shining gold, with innumerable towers, and 
huge windows of diamond glass. There was a great flight of 
steps leading to the front door, and the Goblin ran up these, 
followed by Kelch, until at length they came to a great hall 
with many golden pillars, and an immense domed roof all 
glittering with jewels. 

The Goblin went to the end of this hall, and, having seated 
himself upon his throne, which was cut out of one gigantic 
diamond, he offered Kelch a goblet filled with liquid gold. 

“ I won’t drink that,” said Kelch, and dashed the goblet out 
of the little man’s hand. 


176 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


“ Just as well you refused,” replied the Goblin complacently, 
pointing to a golden statue that stood near the throne, “ or you 
would have become like that.” 

Kelch turned to examine the statue, and saw to his grief 
that it was pretty Filina thus changed. Every hair of her head, 
every fold of her dress was there, but she was nothing but a 
stiff golden statue. 

“ I can’t take my Filina back like this,” he cried, turning 
to the Goblin, who sat on his throne grinning at Kelch’s 
sorrow. 

“ I don’t mean you to,” retorted the Goblin ; “ it’s far too 
valuable a statue to give to you.” 

“ Filina is still more valuable.” 

‘Would you rather have Filina than all that gold?” 

“Yes, a thousand times!” said Kelch boldly. 

The Goblin looked rather discomfited at this, and nodded 
several times as if puzzled. 

“You’re too good for me,” he observed at length; “I can 
gain no power over you. But if I give you back Filina, how am 
I to pay my yearly tribute to the King of Fire ? If I don’t do it, 
he will burn all my kingdom to cinders.” 

“ He can’t burn it to cinders when it’s all gold,” cried Kelch ; 
“ but can’t I find you a substitute for Filina ?” 

“ Ah, that’s a good idea ! ” screamed the goblin, while all his 
ugly little courtiers jumped with joy at this solution of the 
problem. “ Bring me Hocky, and I’ll give you Filina.” 

“ But what will you do to Hocky ? ” asked Kelch anxiously, 
for even to rescue Filina he was unwilling to bring harm to 
any one else. 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


177 


“ I'll give him to the King of Fire.” 

“ But he’ll be burnt up.” 

“Only the bad part of him,” said the Golden Goblin ; “all 
that is good in him will not be touched by the fire. When he is 
quite purified by the fire, he will be allowed to return to earth 
again, and instead of being a bad man as he is now, he will be 
very good.” 

“In that case I don’t mind,” replied Kelch, much relieved. 
“ But how am I to give you Hocky in exchange for Filina ?” 

“ Oh, that’s easily done,” said the Goblin, holding out to 
Kelch a cup filled with some liquor which sparkled like 
diamonds. “ Drink this, and you will be immediately trans- 
ported back to your cottage. There you will find Filina, who 
will still be a statue of gold. Get Hocky to pull off the ring 
that is on her finger and put it on one of his own, then 
Filina will become flesh and blood once more, and Hocky will 
vanish.” 

“Where to?” asked Kelch, taking the cup of diamond 
water from the Goblin. 

“ Down here,” replied the Goblin, grinning ; “ then I’ll give 
him to the King of Fire, and when all the bad is burnt out of 
him, he’ll go back to earth again. Come, drink up.” 

“No tricks,” said Kelch, placing the goblet to his lips. 

“ On the honour of a king,” answered the Goblin, placing 
his yellow hand on his yellow breast ; “ but be quick, for there’s 
no time to be lost.” 

So Kelch drained the goblet to the dregs, and as he did so 
all the golden palace seemed to spin round and round as he 
fell down on the ground. He knew nothing more that happened 


178 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN. 


till he woke up, feeling quite bright and gay, when he found 
himself lying on the floor of his own cottage, and the morning 
sun shining through the window. 


III. 

KELCH REGAINS FILINA. 

Finding himself at home, Kelch jumped to his feet with a 
cry, for at the end of the room he saw the golden statue of 
Filina standing in the sunlight, with outstretched arms, as if she 
were imploring him to release her from the enchantment. Kelch 
hurried forward and saw the magic ring was still on her finger, 
but it looked too firmly fixed to pull off, and although he tried, 
he could not get it away. The only thing to be done was to 
bring Hocky to the cottage and let him try, and as the Goblin 
had fulfilled his promise of placing both Kelch and the statue 
at home, the youth had no doubt that everything else would 
soon come all right. 

He hurried out into the open air, and found all the villagers 
returning from the fields for their noonday meal. They scowled 
at Kelch as he passed, and asked how a wicked magician like 
him dared to return to the village from whence he had been 
driven. 

Kelch, however, never minded their anger, but ran to the 
village green, where he found Hocky talking to Filina’s father. 

“ Here’s that wicked magician ! ” cried Hocky when he saw 
Kelch, for he hated the youth almost as much as the villagers 
hated himself. “ Drive him away.” 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


179 


“ He robbed me of my daughter/’ said Filina’s father, lifting 
up his staff, as the men and women of the village broke into 
murmurs of anger. 

“ I have come back to restore her,” said Kelch boldly ; “ and 
if you come with me to my cottage, you will find her there.” 

On hearing this, Filina’s father, followed by Hocky and all 
the villagers, hastened to the cottage, and there they saw the 
golden statue. 

“It is my daughter sure enough ! ” cried Filina’s father, with 
tears in his eyes ; “ but she is changed into gold.” 

“ Would you rather have your daughter living, or her golden 
statue ? ” asked Kelch, looking at the old man. 

“Say the golden statue,” whispered Hocky, pulling the 
father’s sleeve. 

“ No, no 1 ” cried Filina’s father, shaking his head ; “ no gold 
would recompense me for the loss of my daughter.” 

. “ But your daughter is going to marry me,” said Hocky. 

“Yes, that is true,” replied the old man. 

“ Then I would rather have her as a golden statue,” shrieked 
Hocky avariciously, approaching Kelch. 

“You hear what he says!” cried Kelch: “I love Filina 
for herself, Hocky loves her because she is turned to gold, and 
would rather see the father unhappy than let her be alive 
again.” 

“She’s mine,” said Hocky rudely, getting in front of the 
golden statue ; “ I have her father’s word, and all this gold is 
my own.” 

“What will you do with her?” asked Filina’s father tremu- 
lously. 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN. 


180 


“ Melt her down into broad gold pieces,” roared Hocky, 
dancing ; “ into the furnace she shall go.” 

“ What ! melt my daughter ! ” said the old man in a wrathful 
tone. “ Never! You shall not have her — sooner than that I’ll 
give her to Kelch.” 

“ Keep your promise, and I’ll change her into a living woman 
once more,” cried Kelch eagerly. “ I love your daughter for 
her own sake.” 

“ Give me my daughter once more, and you will be her 
husband,” said Filina’s father quickly. 

“ No — no ! ” yelled Hocky ; “ the statue is mine — mine ! ” 

“ What do you all say ?” said Kelch, turning to the villagers. 
“You drove me from my home because you said I was a 
magician ; now I have brought back Filina, and can restore her 
to life, so you see I am not so bad as you thought I was.” 

“ You shall be her husband !” cried the villagers ; “ we believe 
you to be a good lad.” 

“ If you give him the golden statue, I’ll ruin the whole 
village!” cried Hocky in a rage. “You know I can do it.” 

And indeed it was the truth, for Hocky had lent the villagers 
a lot of money, and in return they had given over their lands 
and houses to him, so he was really owner of the whole place. 
All the villagers were dismayed at this, and Filina’s father began 
to weep, for he thought he would never hear his daughter’s merry 
voice again, when Kelch spoke. 

“ I’ll restore Filina to life and get rid of Hocky, if you with- 
draw your accusations of my being a magician.” 

“ Yes, yes ! ” they all cried ; “ you are no magician — you are 
a good man, and shall marry Filina.” 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN 


181 


“And how will you get rid of me ?*' asked Hocky, angrily 
turning to Kelch. 

“ By giving you more gold than you ever saw before in your 
life,” replied Kelch. “ Will you agree to that ? ” 

“ Yes, I will,” replied Hocky greedily, “ if you give me more 
gold than I’ve got, and more gold than there is in this statue 
of Filina.” 

“Very well,” observed Kelch; “in order to see more gold 
than you ever saw in your life, all you’ve got to do is to pull that 
ring off Filina’s finger and place it on your own.” 

“ Hurrah !” cried Hocky, turning to the statue. “ I’ll do it 
at once.” 

He pulled the ring off the finger of the statue with the 
greatest ease, and slipped it on his 
own with a greedy laugh, when 
suddenly there was a loud crash like 
thunder, and Hocky vanished into 
air, while Filina, once more a bright, 
laughing girl, hastened forward to 
kiss her father. 

“ Where is Hocky ? ” asked all 
the villagers, when they had con- 
gratulated Filina. 

“ Gone where he’ll never trouble 
you again,” replied Kelch, with a 
laugh, taking his sweetheart in his 
arms. “ Now, am I to marry Filina ? ” 

“Yes, yes ! Hurrah ! ” every one cried. 

Then Filina put on her bridal dress, all the village was decked 



182 


THE GOLDEN GOBLIN. 


with flags, the school children received a half-holiday, and Kelch 
married his sweetheart that afternoon. 

They lived long and happily together, and when Filinas 
father died, he left them all his property, and the gold Kelch had 
brought from the castle of the Wicked Baron. Hocky never 
came back again, which made Kelch think that he must have 
had a lot of bad in him, as it took such a long time to burn out. 

Kelch paid a visit to the oak tree and thanked the kind Owl ; 
when she, hearing that the Wicked Baron’s castle was in ruins, 
left her oak tree and went to live there, where no doubt she is 
still. 

Kelch and Filina lived happily ever afterwards, and had lots 
of children, to whom their father often told the story of his ad- 
ventures with the Golden Goblin. 


THE ENCHANTED FOREST. 


DO not know how long I was in King Oberon’s 
library, as, being very much interested in the 
books, I took no notice of the flight of time. 
But reading becomes wearisome even in Faery- 
land, so, feeling rather tired with study, I lay 
down beside the marble - encircled pool, and 
fell fast asleep on the soft green carpet. The delightful stories 
I had been reading still ran in my head, for my slumber was 
filled with the most charming dreams. I seemed to see beauti- 
ful faces smiling at me from amid masses of golden clouds, long 
ranges of marble colonnades stretching far away in dazzling 
whiteness against a dark blue sky, mighty ranges of mountains 
with snowy summits roseate with the flush of sunsets, and 
sombre Egyptian temples, wherein lovely priestesses danced 
their mystic dances before the unseen fane of the sacred Isis. 
All these wonderful pictures passed through my visionary 
brain, blending one into the other in inextricable confusion, 
while strains of the most delicious music kept rising and 
falling at intervals during this strange phantasmagoria of 
dreamland. 



189 


184 


THE ENCHANTED FOREST. 


At length the music grew louder and louder, until I slowly 
opened my eyes to find myself once more in the enchanted 
forest, lying on the cool green grass, with the dark blue sky 
silvered with stars above me, and the thin pale moonlight 
shining down on the solemn trees and glimmering pool. The 
music had now words to its melody, for a choir of faery voices, 
clear and distinct as the sound of tiny silver bells, sang as 
follows : 


w In the moonshine cold and chill, 
Nightingale 

To the woods so calm and still 
Tells her tale. 

Dance the fairies one and all 
Lightly at the elfin ball, 

To her singing’s dying fall. 


In the moonshine chill and cold, 
Oberon 

Will the fairy revels hold; 

So begone 

Mortal, who with daring eye 
Elfish dances would espy. 
Mocking our solemnity.” 


After listening drowsily to this song for some time with 
half-closed eyes, I sat up and saw that the whole glade was 
alive with faeries all running hither and thither, evidently pre- 
paring for the coming of King Oberon. As I had been warned 
in this song to depart, I did not know very well whether they 
meant it or not, when suddenly Phancie, now reduced to his 
former size, appeared before me, and I put the question to 
him. 


THE ENCHANTED FOREST. 


185 


“ It's not usual to allow any mortal to view our revels,” he 
said thoughtfully; “ still, as the King allowed you to see his 
library, perhaps he will let you stay a little while, so you can 
wait till he appears.” 

“ Has no mortal ever beheld the faery revels ? ” I asked, after 
thanking Phancie for his kindness. 

“Yes — one Shakespeare,” he answered, nodding his head: 
“ long, long ago the King allowed him to see our solemnity ; but 
he told all about it to the world, which made the King very 
angry.” 

“ But he told it so beautifully,” I pleaded. 

“ I don’t know so much about that,” responded Phancie 
saucily. “He said Oberon and Titania quarrelled, which is quite 
a mistake, for they are very fond of one another. Oh, I assure 
you the affair caused quite a scandal at court ; since then the 
King mistrusts all mortals, and won’t allow them to see any- 
thing.” 

“ Perhaps, then, he’ll send me away.” 

“ I can’t tell, but it’s very probable he will ; or perhaps he 
will let you stay, and then cause you to forget all you have seen, 
except what he wishes you to remember.” 

“ I hope he won’t make me forget the stories I have 
read.” 

“No, he won’t do that; he said you could remember seven, 
and he never goes back from his word ; but as to remembering 
our revels, I’m afraid he won’t let you do that. But hush! 
the court is approaching. Go and sit on that fallen tree 
again.” 

I arose obediently, and, walking across the glade to the 


i86 


THE ENCHANTED FOREST 


tree, sat down on it; then, warned by Phancie, kept quite 
silent. 

“You mustn’t speak unless the King asks you a question,” 
said Phancie pompously. “ If he does, be sure to address him 
as ‘Your Majesty.’” 

“ I won’t forget,” I replied, and then Phancie, having seen 
all was in order to receive the King, skipped off to meet the 
procession, which was now approaching. 

Between two great rose-bushes, which formed a triumphal 
arch of beautiful red blossoms, came a company of merry little 
faeries, blowing through white trumpet-shaped lilies, followed 
by a number of crickets creaking in the most lively manner; 
then came a band of elves ringing bunches of bluebells, which 
chimed silver music ; next marched some fays dressed in thistle 
down, playing with blades of grass on drums made of empty 
acorn cups with rose leaves stretched tightly across them ; a 
company of fierce-looking bumble-bees carrying thorns for 
swords came next ; and then a number of beautiful girl faeries 
in lily-white dresses danced along, singing gaily. After these 
appeared Oberon and Titania, riding upon two purple- winged 
butterflies, and the rear of the procession was guarded by a 
company of soldier elves, and lastly a disorderly crowd of 
faeries, who played a thousand merry tricks upon one another as 
they ran along. 

When the King and Queen of Faeryland arrived near the 
pool, Oberon struck the ground with his magic wand, and 
immediately there bloomed a great white lily, on the golden 
cushions of whose heart the royal pair took their seat, while all 
the faeries disposed themselves around according to their rank, 


THE ENCHANTED FOREST. 


187 


and the elfin band played merry music, which rang shrilly in the 
night air. From all sides of the glade now appeared beautiful 
white rabbits with pink eyes, lithe brown hares, velvety moles, 
spiky-looking hedgehogs, and many other strange animals, 
while thrushes, nightingales, linnets, cuckoos, and doves 
perched among the branches of the trees. 

The King and Queen were much taller than their subjects, 
and Oberon was dressed in a green hunting-suit, with a crown 
of dewdrops on his head and a silver wand in his hand ; while 
Titania wore a delicate pink robe made entirely of rose leaves, 
and her golden hair streamed from under a wreath of lilies 
of the valley, a spray of the same flowers being in her tiny 
hand. 

When the royal pair had taken their seats, a loud-voiced 
cricket chirped loudly to command silence, and then a wise- 
looking owl made a very long speech, in which he bade the 
King and Queen welcome in the name of their dutiful subjects. 
The King was about to reply, when a grotesque figure with a 
large head and pointed ears suddenly started up out of the 
earth, and rolled like a ball to the foot of the throne. 

“Ah, my merry Puck!” said Oberon, laughing at the jester 
of Faeryland ; “ where have you been ? ” 

“ Plaguing mortals, please your Majesty ! ” cried Puck, 
bounding on to the top of a great mushroom, where he sat 
grinning at every one. “ I have played Will-o’-the-Wisp on 
marshy ground to lead unwary wanderers astray; pinched 
the lazy maids who lie slug-a-bed ; frightened those foolish 
mortals who believe not in faeries ; drank the milk, spoiled the 
butter, teased the cows, and played merry jokes everywhere.” 


i88 


THE ENCHANTED FOREST 


“ Ah, rogue ! ” said Oberon, smiling ; “ thou wert ever cruel 
in thy pranks. Some day mortals will punish thee.” 

“No, no,” said Puck, shaking his head; “why, they don’t 
believe faeries exist.” 

“You hear ? ” sighed Oberon, looking at me gravely ; “you 
mortals don’t believe faeries exist.” 

“I do, your Majesty,” I answered eagerly; “and when I 
return to earth, I will do my best to convince other people. 
Besides, sire, children always believe in faeries.” 

“Yes, the dear children ! ” cried Titania brightly ; “ they are 
our best friends. Ah, children will always believe in us, 
although they do not see us.” 

“If you would only show yourselves sometimes,” I suggested, 
“ it would make every one believe.” 

“I don’t think so,” said Oberon, smiling; “you see your 
wonderful grown-up people have proved conclusively that there 
are no faeries, so it would be quite an impertinence for us to 
appear and upset all their fine theories.” 

“It might make their hearts better, your Majesty,” I ven- 
tured to remark. 

“ I doubt it,” replied the King of Faery. “With you it is 
all greed of money, pursuit of pleasure, and desire of learning ; 
there is no room in your lives to believe that beings like us 
exist; we can be turned to no practical use, therefore you 
mortals regard us as unnecessary existences. But while the 
world moves on, there will always be bright, happy children 
who will keep our memories fresh and green in their hearts, 
and perhaps some day, when the world returns to its childlike 
faith of old, we may once more appear to mortals.” 


THE ENCHANTED FOREST 


189 


" Meanwhile ” — I began. 

“ Meanwhile,” repeated Oberon a little sadly, “ you will go 
back to earth and write down the seven stories you have read 
in my library ; when good children read them they may perhaps 
find out their hidden meaning, and it will make them wiser 
and more obedient. Tell your child friends that faeries do 
nothing without having some good end in view, and if they 
want to please us, they must try and be noble and good, for 
there is nothing so hateful in the world as wickedness. And 
now, mortal, I will permit you to see a faery dance, and then 
you must leave us for ever.” 

“ For ever?” 

“Unless,” said the King graciously, “you revisit us in 
your beautiful dreams. Good-bye, mortal, good-bye : 

“Though years may bring thee pain and grief, 

In airy elves still have belief, 

While thou of earth art denizen. 

And may thou ever think as truth 
The lovely idle dreams of youth : 

This is the Faeries’ benison.” 

Then from the elfin band rang out sweet, wild music, and on 
the smooth greensward the merry faeries danced lightly in the 
pale moonshine. They whirled in and out, swayed into grace- 
ful circles, and melted away like foam on the crest of an 
emerald wave, floated in long wreaths which wavered and 
broke as breaks the mist on snow-peaked mountains, blended 
together again in picturesque confusion, while sweet and shrill 
sounded the weird music, blown through the warm air of the 
summer night. The perfume of a thousand flowers arose from 


190 


THE ENCHANTED FOREST. 


the ground, strange blossoms bloomed suddenly under the 
flying feet of the elves, and round and round the lily throne of 
gracious Oberon and airy Titania whirled the elfin circle, singing 
their farewell song to the sweet voices of the birds : 

“Flashing stars and silver moon 
Waning in the western skies ; 

Crimson is the east, and soon 
Will the orb of day arise. 

Chilly blows the morning breeze, 

Dewdrops glitter on the lawn ; 

Through the branches of the trees 
Flushes now the rosy dawn. 

Idle faery dreams have fled, 

Not a moment can they wait ; 

Visions of the night are dead, 

Sleep has barred her ivory gate. 

But when silver moonlight gleams, 

Close your eyes, O poet true, 

Then from Faeryland of dreams 
We will come again to you.” 

And through the branches of the trees shone the red glare 
of the dawn, which seemed to come nearer and nearer. The 
great boughs with their myriad leaves faded into the angry 
scarlet, a veil of darkness enveloped me, and, awaking with a 
start, I found myself seated in my arm-chair in the shadowy 
room, with the fire burning redly in the grate. 

Even the cricket had ceased to sing, and outside the white 
snowflakes still fell, and the wind whistled shrilly round the 
house. Was it a dream? Maybe! for it is only in dreams, 
dear children, that we can ever hope to visit Faeryland, where 


THE ENCHANTED FOREST 


191 


dwell all those lovely fancies and beautiful thoughts which form 
your enchanted world ; but the child who has once visited the 
wonderful realm of gracious Oberon must try never to forget 
what he has seen, so that, when he becomes a grown-up person, 
he can remember his childish glimpse of the delightful Kingdom 
of Faery land. 


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